What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Arrived at rmn at approximately 1950. The initial report from a first responder was that an experimental aircraft was doing a high speed taxi and became airborne, cleared the airport fence and crashed just prior to interstate 95. The aircraft was inverted with the left engine partially detached from the nacelle. The pilot was severely injured and taken to an area hospital. The ELT was still transmitting. Efforts were made to silence the device. One of the first responders removed an access panel to remove the ELT and disabled it.
An examination of the aircraft indicated that when it landed in a soft mulched area, the nose gear separated from the aircraft causing the nose to dig into the ground, shattering the propellor and the nose cone, flipping the aircraft inverted. During this time, the plexiglass canopy also shattered. Visible fuel was leaking from the detached left engine nacelle area. This fuel had a light blue tint indicating 100LL.
In a verbal statement given to the VA state police at the hospital, the PIC stated that she took off and was climbing in altitude. Then all of a sudden, both engines failed. She turned the aircraft to the left and saw an open field where she put it down on the ground and the aircraft flipped over on its top.
As the FAA filed it
ARRIVED AT RMN AT APPROXIMATELY 1950. THE INITIAL REPORT FROM A FIRST RESPONDER WAS THAT AN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT WAS DOING A HIGH SPEED TAXI AND BECAME AIRBORNE, CLEARED THE AIRPORT FENCE AND CRASHED JUST PRIOR TO INTERSTATE 95. THE AIRCRAFT WAS INVERTED WITH THE LEFT ENGINE PARTIALLY DETACHED FROM THE NACELLE. THE PILOT WAS SEVERELY INJURED AND TAKEN TO AN AREA HOSPITAL. THE ELT WAS STILL TRANSMITTING. EFFORTS WERE MADE TO SILENCE THE DEVICE. ONE OF THE FIRST RESPONDERS REMOVED AN ACCESS PANEL TO REMOVE THE ELT AND DISABLED IT.
AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT INDICATED THAT WHEN IT LANDED IN A SOFT MULCHED AREA, THE NOSE GEAR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT CAUSING THE NOSE TO DIG INTO THE GROUND, SHATTERING THE PROPELLOR AND THE NOSE CONE, FLIPPING THE AIRCRAFT INVERTED. DURING THIS TIME, THE PLEXIGLASS CANOPY ALSO SHATTERED. VISIBLE FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE DETACHED LEFT ENGINE NACELLE AREA. THIS FUEL HAD A LIGHT BLUE TINT INDICATING 100LL.
IN A VERBAL STATEMENT GIVEN TO THE VA STATE POLICE AT THE HOSPITAL, THE PIC STATED THAT SHE TOOK OFF AND WAS CLIMBING IN ALTITUDE. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, BOTH ENGINES FAILED. SHE TURNED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT AND SAW AN OPEN FIELD WHERE SHE PUT IT DOWN ON THE GROUND AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER ON ITS TOP.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.