What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The accident pilot was doing traffic pattern work at Waterbury Airport (N41), located in Plymouth, CT, in what is believed tobe his second flight in flight testing phase I as required by his experimental airworthiness certificate. He had been doing takeoffs and landings to the south on runway 17 for approximately 30 mins. This was corroborated by both the eyewitness who was fishing on the lake where the accident occurred and a resident that lived on the airport property. On the downwind leg, with the airplane traveling northbound, both individuals noted what sounded like multiple momentary power interruptions. The eyewitness said the aircraft headed over the treeline on the north end of the lake . Shortly thereafter, it reappeared over the treeline heading southbound with no engine power. The eyewitness stated it was heading in his direction on the southwest side of the lake before turning slightly left and impacting the treeline on the southeast side of the lake.
As the FAA filed it
THE ACCIDENT PILOT WAS DOING TRAFFIC PATTERN WORK AT WATERBURY AIRPORT (N41), LOCATED IN PLYMOUTH, CT, IN WHAT IS BELIEVED TOBE HIS SECOND FLIGHT IN FLIGHT TESTING PHASE I AS REQUIRED BY HIS EXPERIMENTAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE. HE HAD BEEN DOING TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS TO THE SOUTH ON RUNWAY 17 FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINS. THIS WAS CORROBORATED BY BOTH THE EYEWITNESS WHO WAS FISHING ON THE LAKE WHERE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AND A RESIDENT THAT LIVED ON THE AIRPORT PROPERTY. ON THE DOWNWIND LEG, WITH THE AIRPLANE TRAVELING NORTHBOUND, BOTH INDIVIDUALS NOTED WHAT SOUNDED LIKE MULTIPLE MOMENTARY POWER INTERRUPTIONS. THE EYEWITNESS SAID THE AIRCRAFT HEADED OVER THE TREELINE ON THE NORTH END OF THE LAKE . SHORTLY THEREAFTER, IT REAPPEARED OVER THE TREELINE HEADING SOUTHBOUND WITH NO ENGINE POWER. THE EYEWITNESS STATED IT WAS HEADING IN HIS DIRECTION ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF THE LAKE BEFORE TURNING SLIGHTLY LEFT AND IMPACTING THE TREELINE ON THE SOUTHEAST SIDE OF THE LAKE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.