What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Inspector david laycock and I arrived to the path that lead us to the wreck at 09:17. There we met with privacy data omitted, the person that loaded the airplane with fertilizer, and said that the pilot took off at approximately 08:45 with a full load of fertilizer (urea with agrotain additive) and 45 minutes of fuel. He also said that the fuel load was actually 1 hour and 15 minutes but they call that 45 minutes of fuel with 30 minute spare. After an hour and the pilot did not return privacy data omitted said he called 911 to report.
The footprint of the wreckage was relatively small and compact. Most of the debris was in an area of approximately 20? Wide x 50? Long in the direction of travel (north) with the exception of the right wing which was approximately 125? East of the main wreckage. The treetops were cleanly broken/cut by the falling aircraft at an angle of approximately 60 degrees. There was no tree scaring where the right wing lay indicating that the wing fell through the 30? Opening in the trees directly above where it rested. The aircraft was destroyed. The ground scaring indicated that the aircraft hit the ground at a high angle of attack nose first as evidenced by the crater where the remains of the engine lay. The left wing sat on top of the engine completely separated from the remainder of the wreckage. The fuselage, cockpit, and hopper were approximately 10?north of the initial impact point and the cockpit laid on its right side. The remainder of the empennage was an additional 20? To the north. Small pieces of debris were found within a 50? Radius of the initial impact point.
The ground scaring indicated that the aircraft was in a rightward spinning motion as it impacted the ground. The high angle of attack contained the debris field to a small area. The right wing being located 125? Away from the main wreckage and not in the direction of travel and also the lack of any tree scaring between it and the main wreckage suggests that the wing had separated from the aircraft in flight.
As the FAA filed it
INSPECTOR DAVID LAYCOCK AND I ARRIVED TO THE PATH THAT LEAD US TO THE WRECK AT 09:17. THERE WE MET WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, THE PERSON THAT LOADED THE AIRPLANE WITH FERTILIZER, AND SAID THAT THE PILOT TOOK OFF AT APPROXIMATELY 08:45 WITH A FULL LOAD OF FERTILIZER (UREA WITH AGROTAIN ADDITIVE) AND 45 MINUTES OF FUEL. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE FUEL LOAD WAS ACTUALLY 1 HOUR AND 15 MINUTES BUT THEY CALL THAT 45 MINUTES OF FUEL WITH 30 MINUTE SPARE. AFTER AN HOUR AND THE PILOT DID NOT RETURN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID HE CALLED 911 TO REPORT.
THE FOOTPRINT OF THE WRECKAGE WAS RELATIVELY SMALL AND COMPACT. MOST OF THE DEBRIS WAS IN AN AREA OF APPROXIMATELY 20? WIDE X 50? LONG IN THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL (NORTH) WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE RIGHT WING WHICH WAS APPROXIMATELY 125? EAST OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE TREETOPS WERE CLEANLY BROKEN/CUT BY THE FALLING AIRCRAFT AT AN ANGLE OF APPROXIMATELY 60 DEGREES. THERE WAS NO TREE SCARING WHERE THE RIGHT WING LAY INDICATING THAT THE WING FELL THROUGH THE 30? OPENING IN THE TREES DIRECTLY ABOVE WHERE IT RESTED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. THE GROUND SCARING INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE GROUND AT A HIGH ANGLE OF ATTACK NOSE FIRST AS EVIDENCED BY THE CRATER WHERE THE REMAINS OF THE ENGINE LAY. THE LEFT WING SAT ON TOP OF THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE REMAINDER OF THE WRECKAGE. THE FUSELAGE, COCKPIT, AND HOPPER WERE APPROXIMATELY 10?NORTH OF THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT AND THE COCKPIT LAID ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE REMAINDER OF THE EMPENNAGE WAS AN ADDITIONAL 20? TO THE NORTH. SMALL PIECES OF DEBRIS WERE FOUND WITHIN A 50? RADIUS OF THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT.
THE GROUND SCARING INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A RIGHTWARD SPINNING MOTION AS IT IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE HIGH ANGLE OF ATTACK CONTAINED THE DEBRIS FIELD TO A SMALL AREA. THE RIGHT WING BEING LOCATED 125? AWAY FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE AND NOT IN THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL AND ALSO THE LACK OF ANY TREE SCARING BETWEEN IT AND THE MAIN WRECKAGE SUGGESTS THAT THE WING HAD SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT IN FLIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.