What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot routinely travels from farmingdale, NY airport and Chesapeake, VA (cpk). He left his aircraft in Chesapeake for one week with instructions to top off the tanks with 100LL. The line crew topped off the day of his arrival and the aircraft was never moved. On 05/22/2018 he the pilot planned a routine trip back to new york. He arrived at the airport with his wife and drove out to his aircraft. The two of them spent about 15 minutes around the aircraft doing a preflight according to airport surveillence footage. There was nothing abnormal noted about the preflight. The pilot then taxiied to runway 23 for runup and departure. He used the gco to get his clearance from norfolk. No one witnessed his runup or noted any sounds from the runup that would be out of the ordinary. Only one person was on duty at the time and out of sight of the aircraft. The pilot spent about 15 minutes in the runup area prior to departure. The weather was between 1/4 and 3/4 sm visibility and ceiling reported at 200 feet with no precipitation. Surveillence footage showed the aircraft depart with nothing abnormal occuring prior to entering the clouds. ATC data from ADS-B showed the pilot climbing to 650 feet with a turn begining around 300 feet that continued beyond one complete circle. Airspeed remained within a normal range until about 550 feet when it dropped dramatically and the aircraft descended rapidly into a nearby field. During the investigation it was determined that a post crash fire occured and destroyed majority of the aircraft. The engine was checked and determined to have been operating. A vacuum pump was found with a missing screw but it was not determined wether or not this could have been due to the post crash fire or if the pilot lost a gyro as a result. The pilot lost control of the aircraft due to spatial disorientation.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT ROUTINELY TRAVELS FROM FARMINGDALE, NY AIRPORT AND CHESAPEAKE, VA (CPK). HE LEFT HIS AIRCRAFT IN CHESAPEAKE FOR ONE WEEK WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO TOP OFF THE TANKS WITH 100LL. THE LINE CREW TOPPED OFF THE DAY OF HIS ARRIVAL AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS NEVER MOVED. ON 05/22/2018 HE THE PILOT PLANNED A ROUTINE TRIP BACK TO NEW YORK. HE ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT WITH HIS WIFE AND DROVE OUT TO HIS AIRCRAFT. THE TWO OF THEM SPENT ABOUT 15 MINUTES AROUND THE AIRCRAFT DOING A PREFLIGHT ACCORDING TO AIRPORT SURVEILLENCE FOOTAGE. THERE WAS NOTHING ABNORMAL NOTED ABOUT THE PREFLIGHT. THE PILOT THEN TAXIIED TO RUNWAY 23 FOR RUNUP AND DEPARTURE. HE USED THE GCO TO GET HIS CLEARANCE FROM NORFOLK. NO ONE WITNESSED HIS RUNUP OR NOTED ANY SOUNDS FROM THE RUNUP THAT WOULD BE OUT OF THE ORDINARY. ONLY ONE PERSON WAS ON DUTY AT THE TIME AND OUT OF SIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT SPENT ABOUT 15 MINUTES IN THE RUNUP AREA PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. THE WEATHER WAS BETWEEN 1/4 AND 3/4 SM VISIBILITY AND CEILING REPORTED AT 200 FEET WITH NO PRECIPITATION. SURVEILLENCE FOOTAGE SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT DEPART WITH NOTHING ABNORMAL OCCURING PRIOR TO ENTERING THE CLOUDS. ATC DATA FROM ADS-B SHOWED THE PILOT CLIMBING TO 650 FEET WITH A TURN BEGINING AROUND 300 FEET THAT CONTINUED BEYOND ONE COMPLETE CIRCLE. AIRSPEED REMAINED WITHIN A NORMAL RANGE UNTIL ABOUT 550 FEET WHEN IT DROPPED DRAMATICALLY AND THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED RAPIDLY INTO A NEARBY FIELD. DURING THE INVESTIGATION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A POST CRASH FIRE OCCURED AND DESTROYED MAJORITY OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE ENGINE WAS CHECKED AND DETERMINED TO HAVE BEEN OPERATING. A VACUUM PUMP WAS FOUND WITH A MISSING SCREW BUT IT WAS NOT DETERMINED WETHER OR NOT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DUE TO THE POST CRASH FIRE OR IF THE PILOT LOST A GYRO AS A RESULT. THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.