What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Witness statement stated that the aircraft was approximately 1000 feet AGL. This was high for our airport (narrow valley) unless the plane was planning on an extended final. Suddenly the plane dropped the nose and banked a strong left descending turn. He descended very steeply, and I was thinking he was hot-dogging, which was strange due to the wind conditions. He dropped about 800 feet in less than a quarter mile. He then leveled to about 200 feet AGL and remained on heading (base leg); he never turned or tried to turn to final. The aircraft remained wings level slowly descending, no abrupt pitch up, no stall. I did not see wheels down. He disappeared behind the river bank and a second later I saw a small cloud of bursting dust. Evidence showed that the left engine was not producing power, the left prop blade that stopped at the 12:00 position had a small chip taken out of the tip and a couple of horizontal scratches.
As the FAA filed it
WITNESS STATEMENT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET AGL. THIS WAS HIGH FOR OUR AIRPORT (NARROW VALLEY) UNLESS THE PLANE WAS PLANNING ON AN EXTENDED FINAL. SUDDENLY THE PLANE DROPPED THE NOSE AND BANKED A STRONG LEFT DESCENDING TURN. HE DESCENDED VERY STEEPLY, AND I WAS THINKING HE WAS HOT-DOGGING, WHICH WAS STRANGE DUE TO THE WIND CONDITIONS. HE DROPPED ABOUT 800 FEET IN LESS THAN A QUARTER MILE. HE THEN LEVELED TO ABOUT 200 FEET AGL AND REMAINED ON HEADING (BASE LEG); HE NEVER TURNED OR TRIED TO TURN TO FINAL. THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED WINGS LEVEL SLOWLY DESCENDING, NO ABRUPT PITCH UP, NO STALL. I DID NOT SEE WHEELS DOWN. HE DISAPPEARED BEHIND THE RIVER BANK AND A SECOND LATER I SAW A SMALL CLOUD OF BURSTING DUST. EVIDENCE SHOWED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE WAS NOT PRODUCING POWER, THE LEFT PROP BLADE THAT STOPPED AT THE 12:00 POSITION HAD A SMALL CHIP TAKEN OUT OF THE TIP AND A COUPLE OF HORIZONTAL SCRATCHES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N777GY · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.