What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft impacted terrain shortly after departure from ifp airport.
The pilot and single passenger sustained serious injuries and were transported to a regional trauma center.
Examination of the crash site revealed that the aircraft appeared to have impacted terrain in a relatively level attitude.
All major components of the aircraft were contained within the crash area.
Flight control continuity was established.
The aircraft engine appeared to be operational at the point of impact.
The aircraft appeared to have sufficient fuel at the time of impact.
During an interview on 09/26/2018, the pilot stated that he had departed ifp airport with the intention of flying to the phoenix area.
The pilot stated that after rotating, the aircraft did not appear to climb at a normal rate, though he could not recall what the climb rate was.
The pilot stated that he had turn to fly up a drywash area and had barely cleared powerlines which ran alongside a road that crossed the drywash area.
That shortly thereafter, he realized that he would not be able to climb over larger powerlines which were farther uphill in the drywash area, so he attempted to turn around and impacted the terrain during the turn.
The pilot stated that the aircraft was operational and he had no idea as to why the aircraft would not climb.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TERRAIN SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE FROM IFP AIRPORT.
THE PILOT AND SINGLE PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES AND WERE TRANSPORTED TO A REGIONAL TRAUMA CENTER.
EXAMINATION OF THE CRASH SITE REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO HAVE IMPACTED TERRAIN IN A RELATIVELY LEVEL ATTITUDE.
ALL MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE CONTAINED WITHIN THE CRASH AREA.
FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED.
THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE APPEARED TO BE OPERATIONAL AT THE POINT OF IMPACT.
THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO HAVE SUFFICIENT FUEL AT THE TIME OF IMPACT.
DURING AN INTERVIEW ON 09/26/2018, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD DEPARTED IFP AIRPORT WITH THE INTENTION OF FLYING TO THE PHOENIX AREA.
THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER ROTATING, THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT APPEAR TO CLIMB AT A NORMAL RATE, THOUGH HE COULD NOT RECALL WHAT THE CLIMB RATE WAS.
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD TURN TO FLY UP A DRYWASH AREA AND HAD BARELY CLEARED POWERLINES WHICH RAN ALONGSIDE A ROAD THAT CROSSED THE DRYWASH AREA.
THAT SHORTLY THEREAFTER, HE REALIZED THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CLIMB OVER LARGER POWERLINES WHICH WERE FARTHER UPHILL IN THE DRYWASH AREA, SO HE ATTEMPTED TO TURN AROUND AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN DURING THE TURN.
THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATIONAL AND HE HAD NO IDEA AS TO WHY THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT CLIMB.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.