What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft had just been sold on 10-28-14 and the new owner contracted with a pilot to fly the aircraft to Arkansas for interior and paint. The aircraft had just taken off when the pilot declared an emergency stating " we have lost the left engine ... And are coming back.." The pilot initiated a left turn at low level. Review of video servileness show the aircraft in a rapid and level decent. The main gear is down, and the aircraft impacted the flight safety internaitonal(fsi) building on the northeast corner of the building, resulting in a large explosion/fire ball and significant post-impact fire.
Many ground witnesses were consistent in their statements stating the airplane was in a left turn and approached the hangars east of fsi, the wings were reportedly level as it flew west toward fsi. The airplane's landing gear were "down and locked", the flaps were extended.
Witnesses reported airplane's left engine struck the building first just below the roof line, followed by the outboard section of the left wing. When the wing impacted the building it separated, the remaining portions of the airplane struck the roof of the building and the airplane slid for about 20-30 feet before the tail section came over the top of the airplane followed by a large explosion. A post-impact fire consumed the majority of the aircraft.
The pilot and three individuals in the fsi simulator were fatally injured, 2 persons in the building sustained serious injuries
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST BEEN SOLD ON 10-28-14 AND THE NEW OWNER CONTRACTED WITH A PILOT TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT TO ARKANSAS FOR INTERIOR AND PAINT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST TAKEN OFF WHEN THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY STATING " WE HAVE LOST THE LEFT ENGINE ... AND ARE COMING BACK.." THE PILOT INITIATED A LEFT TURN AT LOW LEVEL. REVIEW OF VIDEO SERVILENESS SHOW THE AIRCRAFT IN A RAPID AND LEVEL DECENT. THE MAIN GEAR IS DOWN, AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE FLIGHT SAFETY INTERNAITONAL(FSI) BUILDING ON THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE BUILDING, RESULTING IN A LARGE EXPLOSION/FIRE BALL AND SIGNIFICANT POST-IMPACT FIRE.
MANY GROUND WITNESSES WERE CONSISTENT IN THEIR STATEMENTS STATING THE AIRPLANE WAS IN A LEFT TURN AND APPROACHED THE HANGARS EAST OF FSI, THE WINGS WERE REPORTEDLY LEVEL AS IT FLEW WEST TOWARD FSI. THE AIRPLANE'S LANDING GEAR WERE "DOWN AND LOCKED", THE FLAPS WERE EXTENDED.
WITNESSES REPORTED AIRPLANE'S LEFT ENGINE STRUCK THE BUILDING FIRST JUST BELOW THE ROOF LINE, FOLLOWED BY THE OUTBOARD SECTION OF THE LEFT WING. WHEN THE WING IMPACTED THE BUILDING IT SEPARATED, THE REMAINING PORTIONS OF THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE ROOF OF THE BUILDING AND THE AIRPLANE SLID FOR ABOUT 20-30 FEET BEFORE THE TAIL SECTION CAME OVER THE TOP OF THE AIRPLANE FOLLOWED BY A LARGE EXPLOSION. A POST-IMPACT FIRE CONSUMED THE MAJORITY OF THE AIRCRAFT.
THE PILOT AND THREE INDIVIDUALS IN THE FSI SIMULATOR WERE FATALLY INJURED, 2 PERSONS IN THE BUILDING SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.