What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot, the only occupant of the aircraft, departed Creswell Airport on 04-21-15 at 1645 for pearson air park in vancouver Washington; the aircraft, near Mt. Tom, changed course 224 degrees towards the southwest just before dropping from radar. On 04-24-15 the aircraft crash site was located on the north face of the ridge that extends northeast from the summit of Mt. Tom at an elevation of approximately 2907?. Numerous trees along a magnetic bearing of 338° from the wreckage had been topped, with freshly cut branches on the ground directly below the trees. The length of the debris field was approximately 111 feet. Post impact fire destroyed the cabin and fuselage of the airplane. Wreckage was examined and documented on-scene, removed and transported to a facility for further examination. The engine was removed from the engine mount and firewall, the wings and tail of the airplane were laid out. All critical flight components of the airframe were accounted for and all exhibited impact and overload damage. The engine examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal engine operation.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT, THE ONLY OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT, DEPARTED CRESWELL AIRPORT ON 04-21-15 AT 1645 FOR PEARSON AIR PARK IN VANCOUVER WASHINGTON; THE AIRCRAFT, NEAR MT. TOM, CHANGED COURSE 224 DEGREES TOWARDS THE SOUTHWEST JUST BEFORE DROPPING FROM RADAR. ON 04-24-15 THE AIRCRAFT CRASH SITE WAS LOCATED ON THE NORTH FACE OF THE RIDGE THAT EXTENDS NORTHEAST FROM THE SUMMIT OF MT. TOM AT AN ELEVATION OF APPROXIMATELY 2907?. NUMEROUS TREES ALONG A MAGNETIC BEARING OF 338° FROM THE WRECKAGE HAD BEEN TOPPED, WITH FRESHLY CUT BRANCHES ON THE GROUND DIRECTLY BELOW THE TREES. THE LENGTH OF THE DEBRIS FIELD WAS APPROXIMATELY 111 FEET. POST IMPACT FIRE DESTROYED THE CABIN AND FUSELAGE OF THE AIRPLANE. WRECKAGE WAS EXAMINED AND DOCUMENTED ON-SCENE, REMOVED AND TRANSPORTED TO A FACILITY FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED FROM THE ENGINE MOUNT AND FIREWALL, THE WINGS AND TAIL OF THE AIRPLANE WERE LAID OUT. ALL CRITICAL FLIGHT COMPONENTS OF THE AIRFRAME WERE ACCOUNTED FOR AND ALL EXHIBITED IMPACT AND OVERLOAD DAMAGE. THE ENGINE EXAMINATION DID NOT REVEAL ANY ANOMALIES THAT WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED NORMAL ENGINE OPERATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.