What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 11/9/2016 at 0913 EST, an experimental amateur-built Challenger II, N327SH, was destroyed during an in-flight breakup in Crescent City, FL. The flight instructor and student pilot/owner were fatally injured. It was a local instructional flight which departed Crescent lake farms airport (16FD) at approximately 0815. The airplane was privately owned and operated and hangared at the private grass strip (16FD). A witness observed the plane flying straight and level heading south from his backyard prior to crashing. He stated the engine "got quiet" and the plane started to glide. Seconds later, the plane pitched up and the engine noise increased as if adding full power. He heard a loud sound and saw a wing depart the airplane. As the fuselage fell he heard another loud bang just before hitting the trees. He ran for cover as the right wing continued towards him finally coming to rest 3 feet from his house. The main wreckage came to rest in a wooded area 1.2 NM west of the airport. The majority of the airplane components were found at the foot of a large oak tree with portions of the left wing resting 30 ft high in the tree. The right wing, remaining mostly intact, was found 1000 feet south of the main wreckage and an airframe parachute with expended rocket motor were found 600 feet to the southeast. The accident was phoned in at 0913 EST and a putnam county sheriff was first onscene.
As the FAA filed it
ON 11/9/2016 AT 0913 EST, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR-BUILT CHALLENGER II, N327SH, WAS DESTROYED DURING AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP IN CRESCENT CITY, FL. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT/OWNER WERE FATALLY INJURED. IT WAS A LOCAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WHICH DEPARTED CRESCENT LAKE FARMS AIRPORT (16FD) AT APPROXIMATELY 0815. THE AIRPLANE WAS PRIVATELY OWNED AND OPERATED AND HANGARED AT THE PRIVATE GRASS STRIP (16FD). A WITNESS OBSERVED THE PLANE FLYING STRAIGHT AND LEVEL HEADING SOUTH FROM HIS BACKYARD PRIOR TO CRASHING. HE STATED THE ENGINE "GOT QUIET" AND THE PLANE STARTED TO GLIDE. SECONDS LATER, THE PLANE PITCHED UP AND THE ENGINE NOISE INCREASED AS IF ADDING FULL POWER. HE HEARD A LOUD SOUND AND SAW A WING DEPART THE AIRPLANE. AS THE FUSELAGE FELL HE HEARD ANOTHER LOUD BANG JUST BEFORE HITTING THE TREES. HE RAN FOR COVER AS THE RIGHT WING CONTINUED TOWARDS HIM FINALLY COMING TO REST 3 FEET FROM HIS HOUSE. THE MAIN WRECKAGE CAME TO REST IN A WOODED AREA 1.2 NM WEST OF THE AIRPORT. THE MAJORITY OF THE AIRPLANE COMPONENTS WERE FOUND AT THE FOOT OF A LARGE OAK TREE WITH PORTIONS OF THE LEFT WING RESTING 30 FT HIGH IN THE TREE. THE RIGHT WING, REMAINING MOSTLY INTACT, WAS FOUND 1000 FEET SOUTH OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE AND AN AIRFRAME PARACHUTE WITH EXPENDED ROCKET MOTOR WERE FOUND 600 FEET TO THE SOUTHEAST. THE ACCIDENT WAS PHONED IN AT 0913 EST AND A PUTNAM COUNTY SHERIFF WAS FIRST ONSCENE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.