What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircrafts route of flight, as identified by a radar target according to preliminary air traffic control data provided by the federal aviation administration (FAA), indicated that the accident aircraft overflew the airport (3FL0) at midfield then made a right turn toward the ocala national forest. It continued to circle back, overflew 3FL0 again then entered a left turn to approximately 270 degrees overflew the airport a final time before impacting the river 1 mile west of the airport at approximately 1930 hours on February 27, 2018. The private pilot and pilot rated passenger were fatally injured.
The altitudes for the last segment of the flight varied from 975 feet above mean sea level, MSL, to 775 feet MSL to 1200 feet MSL and finally at 525 feet MSL before the radar target disappreared. The aircraft airspeed from ATC was as low as 70 KTS during the manuevering. According to an eyewitness the aircraft was flying really low and was in a 45 degree left bank turn, wobbled once and then continued the turn.
The aircraft's hobbs meter was located in the wreckage and indicated about 68 hours of total time. In addition, the recovered standby attitude indicator indicated a 55-60 degree left bank and the flaps indicated they were in the full down position.
The preliminary NTSB investigation indicated there were no anomalies with the airplane that would preclude normal operation prior to the accident.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFTS ROUTE OF FLIGHT, AS IDENTIFIED BY A RADAR TARGET ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL DATA PROVIDED BY THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA), INDICATED THAT THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT OVERFLEW THE AIRPORT (3FL0) AT MIDFIELD THEN MADE A RIGHT TURN TOWARD THE OCALA NATIONAL FOREST. IT CONTINUED TO CIRCLE BACK, OVERFLEW 3FL0 AGAIN THEN ENTERED A LEFT TURN TO APPROXIMATELY 270 DEGREES OVERFLEW THE AIRPORT A FINAL TIME BEFORE IMPACTING THE RIVER 1 MILE WEST OF THE AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 1930 HOURS ON FEBRUARY 27, 2018. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND PILOT RATED PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED.
THE ALTITUDES FOR THE LAST SEGMENT OF THE FLIGHT VARIED FROM 975 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL, MSL, TO 775 FEET MSL TO 1200 FEET MSL AND FINALLY AT 525 FEET MSL BEFORE THE RADAR TARGET DISAPPREARED. THE AIRCRAFT AIRSPEED FROM ATC WAS AS LOW AS 70 KTS DURING THE MANUEVERING. ACCORDING TO AN EYEWITNESS THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING REALLY LOW AND WAS IN A 45 DEGREE LEFT BANK TURN, WOBBLED ONCE AND THEN CONTINUED THE TURN.
THE AIRCRAFT'S HOBBS METER WAS LOCATED IN THE WRECKAGE AND INDICATED ABOUT 68 HOURS OF TOTAL TIME. IN ADDITION, THE RECOVERED STANDBY ATTITUDE INDICATOR INDICATED A 55-60 DEGREE LEFT BANK AND THE FLAPS INDICATED THEY WERE IN THE FULL DOWN POSITION.
THE PRELIMINARY NTSB INVESTIGATION INDICATED THERE WERE NO ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRPLANE THAT WOULD PRECLUDE NORMAL OPERATION PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.