What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The PIC sitting in the right seat allowed the passenger to operate the airplane from the left seat. A short field landing attempt resulted in an aborted landing being initiated. After setting power and pitch the passenger quickly retracted the flaps from the fully extended to the full up position causing the airplane to settle at minimum airspeed. The airplane was maneuvered to impact the trees initially with the wings. The airplane struck multiple trees with the wings, propeller and fuselage. The wreckage came to rest with the right side of the fuselage on the ground and the bottom of the fuselage against a tree. Both wings separated at the root and were folded aft against the fuselage.
As the FAA filed it
THE PIC SITTING IN THE RIGHT SEAT ALLOWED THE PASSENGER TO OPERATE THE AIRPLANE FROM THE LEFT SEAT. A SHORT FIELD LANDING ATTEMPT RESULTED IN AN ABORTED LANDING BEING INITIATED. AFTER SETTING POWER AND PITCH THE PASSENGER QUICKLY RETRACTED THE FLAPS FROM THE FULLY EXTENDED TO THE FULL UP POSITION CAUSING THE AIRPLANE TO SETTLE AT MINIMUM AIRSPEED. THE AIRPLANE WAS MANEUVERED TO IMPACT THE TREES INITIALLY WITH THE WINGS. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK MULTIPLE TREES WITH THE WINGS, PROPELLER AND FUSELAGE. THE WRECKAGE CAME TO REST WITH THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE ON THE GROUND AND THE BOTTOM OF THE FUSELAGE AGAINST A TREE. BOTH WINGS SEPARATED AT THE ROOT AND WERE FOLDED AFT AGAINST THE FUSELAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.