What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft departed yuma, AZ (nyz) for paine field, everett, WA (pae). Report from ATC sea center: acft declares an emergency with smoke and loss of power. ATC delivers instructions guiding acft to WN76 aprt (bergseth aprt). Contact lost. Acft was unable to make the grass strip and went down in trees.
Accident site:
The site where the main wreckage rested is a heavily treed area with lots of under growth. To the north approximately 200 yards is a clear area (field). To the southeast approximately 100 yards up an incline is a barn and a house on the south side of the barn. The aircraft appears to have been heading in a south, southwest direction when the left wing struck the first tree aprox. 100-150 feet high. Then it appears as though the right wing took the top off a tree as the aircraft began to spin around and then the tail struck a tree. The left wing was still in the tree approximately 250 feet from where the main wreckage rested and the tail was still in the tree approximately 200 feet from where the main wreckage rested. The right wing from the tip tank to about 1/2 of the way inboard to the fuselage separated and came to rest approximately 40 feet to the north of the main wreckage. The wreckage is spread approximately 250 - 300 feet. There is debris from the wreckage along the entire path. The front of the fuselage was facing north and laying mostly on the left side. It appears as though the forward end of the fuselage struck a tree and slid down it. The engine was lying next to the fuselage forward right side. It still had cowling on the right side of engine and was sitting most of the way turned over on its top. When looking at the id plate pictures you can see what appears to be strikes on the block from the engine interior. The propeller is still attached to the engine. Two of the three blades are straight. The 3rd bladed is buried in the dirt and bent. Aircraft is damaged beyond repair.
Some items we noted:
There is still fuel present at the strainer.
The turbo was separated from the engine upon impact. The compressor wheel turns freely.
Mag switch is on left mag (not both).
Fuel selector is selected to right tank.
Post examination of the wreckage after is was recovered and relocated to a hanger in auburn, WA. Showed no issues with the airframe. The engine, there were three (3) holes observed through the top of the case, #2 and #4 piston rods were seperated from the crankshaft. The engine will be shipped back to the Continental motors factory for teardown in an effort to identify what precipitated the event.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT DEPARTED YUMA, AZ (NYZ) FOR PAINE FIELD, EVERETT, WA (PAE). REPORT FROM ATC SEA CENTER: ACFT DECLARES AN EMERGENCY WITH SMOKE AND LOSS OF POWER. ATC DELIVERS INSTRUCTIONS GUIDING ACFT TO WN76 APRT (BERGSETH APRT). CONTACT LOST. ACFT WAS UNABLE TO MAKE THE GRASS STRIP AND WENT DOWN IN TREES.
ACCIDENT SITE:
THE SITE WHERE THE MAIN WRECKAGE RESTED IS A HEAVILY TREED AREA WITH LOTS OF UNDER GROWTH. TO THE NORTH APPROXIMATELY 200 YARDS IS A CLEAR AREA (FIELD). TO THE SOUTHEAST APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS UP AN INCLINE IS A BARN AND A HOUSE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE BARN. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN HEADING IN A SOUTH, SOUTHWEST DIRECTION WHEN THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE FIRST TREE APROX. 100-150 FEET HIGH. THEN IT APPEARS AS THOUGH THE RIGHT WING TOOK THE TOP OFF A TREE AS THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SPIN AROUND AND THEN THE TAIL STRUCK A TREE. THE LEFT WING WAS STILL IN THE TREE APPROXIMATELY 250 FEET FROM WHERE THE MAIN WRECKAGE RESTED AND THE TAIL WAS STILL IN THE TREE APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET FROM WHERE THE MAIN WRECKAGE RESTED. THE RIGHT WING FROM THE TIP TANK TO ABOUT 1/2 OF THE WAY INBOARD TO THE FUSELAGE SEPARATED AND CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET TO THE NORTH OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE WRECKAGE IS SPREAD APPROXIMATELY 250 - 300 FEET. THERE IS DEBRIS FROM THE WRECKAGE ALONG THE ENTIRE PATH. THE FRONT OF THE FUSELAGE WAS FACING NORTH AND LAYING MOSTLY ON THE LEFT SIDE. IT APPEARS AS THOUGH THE FORWARD END OF THE FUSELAGE STRUCK A TREE AND SLID DOWN IT. THE ENGINE WAS LYING NEXT TO THE FUSELAGE FORWARD RIGHT SIDE. IT STILL HAD COWLING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF ENGINE AND WAS SITTING MOST OF THE WAY TURNED OVER ON ITS TOP. WHEN LOOKING AT THE ID PLATE PICTURES YOU CAN SEE WHAT APPEARS TO BE STRIKES ON THE BLOCK FROM THE ENGINE INTERIOR. THE PROPELLER IS STILL ATTACHED TO THE ENGINE. TWO OF THE THREE BLADES ARE STRAIGHT. THE 3RD BLADED IS BURIED IN THE DIRT AND BENT. AIRCRAFT IS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR.
SOME ITEMS WE NOTED:
THERE IS STILL FUEL PRESENT AT THE STRAINER.
THE TURBO WAS SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE UPON IMPACT. THE COMPRESSOR WHEEL TURNS FREELY.
MAG SWITCH IS ON LEFT MAG (NOT BOTH).
FUEL SELECTOR IS SELECTED TO RIGHT TANK.
POST EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE AFTER IS WAS RECOVERED AND RELOCATED TO A HANGER IN AUBURN, WA. SHOWED NO ISSUES WITH THE AIRFRAME. THE ENGINE, THERE WERE THREE (3) HOLES OBSERVED THROUGH THE TOP OF THE CASE, #2 AND #4 PISTON RODS WERE SEPERATED FROM THE CRANKSHAFT. THE ENGINE WILL BE SHIPPED BACK TO THE CONTINENTAL MOTORS FACTORY FOR TEARDOWN IN AN EFFORT TO IDENTIFY WHAT PRECIPITATED THE EVENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.