What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
07/22/2017: Apple Valley CA. 1500 hrs. N331ST, panzl S331E; crashed under unknown circumstances. The pilot in command (PIC) was fatally injured and the aircraft was destroyed.
The pics coach explained that the routine was to execute an outside 1 and 1/2 snap followed by an opposite direction roll. The coach and an expert witnesses described the following: as the PIC pulled into a 45 degree down attitude, she executed the snap and started the roll in the opposite direction. Up to that point it was all as planned except that the roll did not stop, the aircraft continued to roll beyond the normal maneuver at a slower speed of roll while maintaining the 45 degree attitude. As the aircraft continued to slowly roll it impacted the ground.
After examination of the aircraft the following were noted:
The aircraft impacted the ground approx. 3 miles northeast of the airport. The angle of impact was at about 45 degrees. Although the airplane maintained its general shape after the crash, many fragments were scattered in a perimeter of approximately 75FT radius. The propeller and hub were not visible due to being buried at the point of impact. Imprints on the ground of the left and right wing leading edges were 3 to 4 inches deep. Flight control continuity was confirmed. After teardown of the engine it was determined that no obvious signs of catastrophic engine mechanical failure.
Autopsy and toxicology reports are pending.
As the FAA filed it
07/22/2017: APPLE VALLEY CA. 1500 HRS. N331ST, PANZL S331E; CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) WAS FATALLY INJURED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.
THE PICS COACH EXPLAINED THAT THE ROUTINE WAS TO EXECUTE AN OUTSIDE 1 AND 1/2 SNAP FOLLOWED BY AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION ROLL. THE COACH AND AN EXPERT WITNESSES DESCRIBED THE FOLLOWING: AS THE PIC PULLED INTO A 45 DEGREE DOWN ATTITUDE, SHE EXECUTED THE SNAP AND STARTED THE ROLL IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. UP TO THAT POINT IT WAS ALL AS PLANNED EXCEPT THAT THE ROLL DID NOT STOP, THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO ROLL BEYOND THE NORMAL MANEUVER AT A SLOWER SPEED OF ROLL WHILE MAINTAINING THE 45 DEGREE ATTITUDE. AS THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO SLOWLY ROLL IT IMPACTED THE GROUND.
AFTER EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT THE FOLLOWING WERE NOTED:
THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND APPROX. 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT. THE ANGLE OF IMPACT WAS AT ABOUT 45 DEGREES. ALTHOUGH THE AIRPLANE MAINTAINED ITS GENERAL SHAPE AFTER THE CRASH, MANY FRAGMENTS WERE SCATTERED IN A PERIMETER OF APPROXIMATELY 75FT RADIUS. THE PROPELLER AND HUB WERE NOT VISIBLE DUE TO BEING BURIED AT THE POINT OF IMPACT. IMPRINTS ON THE GROUND OF THE LEFT AND RIGHT WING LEADING EDGES WERE 3 TO 4 INCHES DEEP. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED. AFTER TEARDOWN OF THE ENGINE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT NO OBVIOUS SIGNS OF CATASTROPHIC ENGINE MECHANICAL FAILURE.
AUTOPSY AND TOXICOLOGY REPORTS ARE PENDING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.