What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 14, 2018, at approximately 1115HRS an amateur built experimental aircraft N382T s/n 001 was involved in an accident and sustained substantial damage. According to eyewitnesses on the ground, the aircraft had flown over a site where they were conducting logging operations, and had circled back around for a second fly over. As the aircraft approached the site, witnesses stated that the aircraft was flying at a low altitude and at a high rate of speed and it appeared that the pilot was waving the wings, when the left wing struck a tree. The aircraft?s flight path continued downward through a stand of trees leaving a debris field of approximately 485 ft. and came to rest on the forest floor resulting in fatal injuries of the pilot and passenger. Based on our investigation and eyewitness accounts, it appears that the pilot was flying the aircraft at an unsafe altitude.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2018, AT APPROXIMATELY 1115HRS AN AMATEUR BUILT EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT N382T S/N 001 WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. ACCORDING TO EYEWITNESSES ON THE GROUND, THE AIRCRAFT HAD FLOWN OVER A SITE WHERE THEY WERE CONDUCTING LOGGING OPERATIONS, AND HAD CIRCLED BACK AROUND FOR A SECOND FLY OVER. AS THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED THE SITE, WITNESSES STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING AT A LOW ALTITUDE AND AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AND IT APPEARED THAT THE PILOT WAS WAVING THE WINGS, WHEN THE LEFT WING STRUCK A TREE. THE AIRCRAFT?S FLIGHT PATH CONTINUED DOWNWARD THROUGH A STAND OF TREES LEAVING A DEBRIS FIELD OF APPROXIMATELY 485 FT. AND CAME TO REST ON THE FOREST FLOOR RESULTING IN FATAL INJURIES OF THE PILOT AND PASSENGER. BASED ON OUR INVESTIGATION AND EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS, IT APPEARS THAT THE PILOT WAS FLYING THE AIRCRAFT AT AN UNSAFE ALTITUDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.