What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
I arrived on-scene at 21:00 CDT, September 24, 2015 and was met by dps trooper privacy data omitted and hood county fire marshall privacy data omitted. Trooper privacy data omitted indicated there were two occupants on-board and that both had sustained fatal injuries. The trooper provided the name of the pilot as casey bussett, dob June 9, 1975, and passenger chad Hughes, dob August 5, 1980.
The remains were transported by wiley funeral home, Granbury, TX to the tarrant county medical examiner?s office located at 200 feliks gwozdz dr., fort worth, TX.
I checked the flight control cables and rods near the empennage and found significant impact and fire damage in the area directly behind the flight crew positions. Continuity if the control cables forward of the rear bulkhead could not be determined due to the damage but aft of the bulkhead all flight controls did appropriately respond to manual input.
Witnesses: privacy data omitted provided statements which consistently indicated they saw the aircraft significantly increase pitch and roll to the right near the end of the runway just prior to impact. From their location the aircraft?s orientation at the time of impact could not be seen but they all stated they saw the fire, smoke, and heard the impact.
Video surveillance camera footage supports the witness statements regarding the aircraft pitching upward near the end of the runway. The aircraft momentarily disappears from view then returns with a lower angle of attack descending into a drainage ditch followed by an explosion.
Fatal injuries were sustained by both occupants. The aircraft was destroyed.
As the FAA filed it
I ARRIVED ON-SCENE AT 21:00 CDT, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 AND WAS MET BY DPS TROOPER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND HOOD COUNTY FIRE MARSHALL ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. TROOPER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ INDICATED THERE WERE TWO OCCUPANTS ON-BOARD AND THAT BOTH HAD SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE TROOPER PROVIDED THE NAME OF THE PILOT AS CASEY BUSSETT, DOB JUNE 9, 1975, AND PASSENGER CHAD HUGHES, DOB AUGUST 5, 1980.
THE REMAINS WERE TRANSPORTED BY WILEY FUNERAL HOME, GRANBURY, TX TO THE TARRANT COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER?S OFFICE LOCATED AT 200 FELIKS GWOZDZ DR., FORT WORTH, TX.
I CHECKED THE FLIGHT CONTROL CABLES AND RODS NEAR THE EMPENNAGE AND FOUND SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND FIRE DAMAGE IN THE AREA DIRECTLY BEHIND THE FLIGHT CREW POSITIONS. CONTINUITY IF THE CONTROL CABLES FORWARD OF THE REAR BULKHEAD COULD NOT BE DETERMINED DUE TO THE DAMAGE BUT AFT OF THE BULKHEAD ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS DID APPROPRIATELY RESPOND TO MANUAL INPUT.
WITNESSES: ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PROVIDED STATEMENTS WHICH CONSISTENTLY INDICATED THEY SAW THE AIRCRAFT SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE PITCH AND ROLL TO THE RIGHT NEAR THE END OF THE RUNWAY JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT. FROM THEIR LOCATION THE AIRCRAFT?S ORIENTATION AT THE TIME OF IMPACT COULD NOT BE SEEN BUT THEY ALL STATED THEY SAW THE FIRE, SMOKE, AND HEARD THE IMPACT.
VIDEO SURVEILLANCE CAMERA FOOTAGE SUPPORTS THE WITNESS STATEMENTS REGARDING THE AIRCRAFT PITCHING UPWARD NEAR THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT MOMENTARILY DISAPPEARS FROM VIEW THEN RETURNS WITH A LOWER ANGLE OF ATTACK DESCENDING INTO A DRAINAGE DITCH FOLLOWED BY AN EXPLOSION.
FATAL INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED BY BOTH OCCUPANTS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.