What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
David stubblefield boarded the aircraft, and sat in the front seat. Witnesses stated that he needed excessive seat cushions in order to adequately see over the top of the glareshield. William gerald stubblefield was seated in the rear seat. Mr. David stubblefield was only recently (March 2015) certificated as a private pilot. Both seats had controls, however only the front seat had throttle, mixture, and propeller controls. According to wtinesses, the aircraft taxiied out, conducted a run up, and departed runway 27. Witnesses state that the aircraft flew a pattern approximately 700 feet. The aircraft descended, flew along the center of the runway at 200 feet, until it descended slightly to gain more speed, then upon reaching the center of the runway, pitched up slightly, the aircraft was observed to conduct a barrel roll to the left. Near the bottom of the roll, witnesses observed a large splash of water above the treeline, and heard the sound of an impact, followed by smoke. The aircraft impacted approximately 200 feet south of the runway extended centerline and ended up on the shoreline of a pond. The engine and right wing had separated from the aircraft and was found resting in the pond. The fuselage was found pointing in a 120 degree direction some 20 feet from the shore of the pond. The left wing of the aircraft had separated from the airframe and was found resting near the shore of the pond. Both occupants were ejected from the airframe, and were fatally injured. A small fire erupted beneath the separated left wing, but was extinguished by locals using dry chemical. All flight controls were found severed from the impact, however control continuity was established. Examination of the wreckage indicates the engine was producing power at the time of impact. Sufficient fuel was available, as the aircraft had been filled leaving morristown TN earlier that day. The flight would have left approximately 25 gallons of fuel aboard at the time of impact. No logbooks, or certificates were recovered from the accident scene.
As the FAA filed it
DAVID STUBBLEFIELD BOARDED THE AIRCRAFT, AND SAT IN THE FRONT SEAT. WITNESSES STATED THAT HE NEEDED EXCESSIVE SEAT CUSHIONS IN ORDER TO ADEQUATELY SEE OVER THE TOP OF THE GLARESHIELD. WILLIAM GERALD STUBBLEFIELD WAS SEATED IN THE REAR SEAT. MR. DAVID STUBBLEFIELD WAS ONLY RECENTLY (MARCH 2015) CERTIFICATED AS A PRIVATE PILOT. BOTH SEATS HAD CONTROLS, HOWEVER ONLY THE FRONT SEAT HAD THROTTLE, MIXTURE, AND PROPELLER CONTROLS. ACCORDING TO WTINESSES, THE AIRCRAFT TAXIIED OUT, CONDUCTED A RUN UP, AND DEPARTED RUNWAY 27. WITNESSES STATE THAT THE AIRCRAFT FLEW A PATTERN APPROXIMATELY 700 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED, FLEW ALONG THE CENTER OF THE RUNWAY AT 200 FEET, UNTIL IT DESCENDED SLIGHTLY TO GAIN MORE SPEED, THEN UPON REACHING THE CENTER OF THE RUNWAY, PITCHED UP SLIGHTLY, THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO CONDUCT A BARREL ROLL TO THE LEFT. NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE ROLL, WITNESSES OBSERVED A LARGE SPLASH OF WATER ABOVE THE TREELINE, AND HEARD THE SOUND OF AN IMPACT, FOLLOWED BY SMOKE. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET SOUTH OF THE RUNWAY EXTENDED CENTERLINE AND ENDED UP ON THE SHORELINE OF A POND. THE ENGINE AND RIGHT WING HAD SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS FOUND RESTING IN THE POND. THE FUSELAGE WAS FOUND POINTING IN A 120 DEGREE DIRECTION SOME 20 FEET FROM THE SHORE OF THE POND. THE LEFT WING OF THE AIRCRAFT HAD SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME AND WAS FOUND RESTING NEAR THE SHORE OF THE POND. BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE EJECTED FROM THE AIRFRAME, AND WERE FATALLY INJURED. A SMALL FIRE ERUPTED BENEATH THE SEPARATED LEFT WING, BUT WAS EXTINGUISHED BY LOCALS USING DRY CHEMICAL. ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE FOUND SEVERED FROM THE IMPACT, HOWEVER CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE INDICATES THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING POWER AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. SUFFICIENT FUEL WAS AVAILABLE, AS THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN FILLED LEAVING MORRISTOWN TN EARLIER THAT DAY. THE FLIGHT WOULD HAVE LEFT APPROXIMATELY 25 GALLONS OF FUEL ABOARD AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. NO LOGBOOKS, OR CERTIFICATES WERE RECOVERED FROM THE ACCIDENT SCENE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.