What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Note: on April 24, 2019, the federal aviation administration aircraft registration branch reassigned the accident aircraft?s registration number from N767G to N311G. The aircraft registration branch had not received the owner signed ac form 8050-64 for the revised certificate prior to may 22, 2019. The aircraft is presently registered as N767G in the FAA?s registration data base. At the crash site, the accident aircraft displayed the registration number N311G.
On may 22, 2019, at approximately 12:45 p.m. eastern daylight time (1645 zulu), a Cessna citiation S-550, N311G impacted terrain about ½ mile northeast of the Indianapolis Regional Airport (mqj), Greenfield, Indiana after takeoff. The aircraft was registered to zeus, LLC and was operating under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part 91. The single pilot and passenger suffered fatal injuries and the aircraft was destroyed by the impact and post-crash fire. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The aircraft was on an instrument flight plan and was not in contact with air traffic control after takeoff. The weather at the time of the accident was wind 180 degrees at 8 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, ceiling 4600 feet broken and 9500 feet broken. The aircraft departed mqj approximately at 12:43 p.m. to minden-tahoe airport (mev), Nevada.
The airline transport certificated pilot was issued a second class medical with no limitations dated November 11, 2018. The pilot reported on his medical application his flight experience included 3,530 total hours and 102 hours in the last six months.
The aircraft had been in maintenance at mqj for an avionics upgrade and aircraft inspections. The maintenance technician stated the aircraft had flown two days before the accident to check out the autopilot. The aircraft performed normally during that maintenance flight.
The accident site was located approximately ½ mile northeast of the departure end of runway 07 at mqj. The debris field was measured 270 feet long. The left wing appears to have impacted first as evidence by debris and the navigation light lense. The initial ground scar was aligned on a 327 degree magnetic heading (mh). The aircraft nose came to rest on a 268 degree mh, the wings came to rest on a 219 degree mh, and the tail came to rest on a 182 degree mh. A post-impact fire consumed eighty percent of the aircraft.
Two witnesses on the ground reported seeing the aircraft in an estimated ninety degree left bank with the nose parallel to the horizon shortly after takeoff. One of the witnesses observed the aircraft?s nose lower slightly before rising again to a parallel attitude. At no point did he observe the nose of the aircraft rise above the horizon. The nose of the airplane again lowered and the aircraft impacted the ground.
This report may be amended as the investigation progresses.
As the FAA filed it
NOTE: ON APRIL 24, 2019, THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION BRANCH REASSIGNED THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT?S REGISTRATION NUMBER FROM N767G TO N311G. THE AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION BRANCH HAD NOT RECEIVED THE OWNER SIGNED AC FORM 8050-64 FOR THE REVISED CERTIFICATE PRIOR TO MAY 22, 2019. THE AIRCRAFT IS PRESENTLY REGISTERED AS N767G IN THE FAA?S REGISTRATION DATA BASE. AT THE CRASH SITE, THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT DISPLAYED THE REGISTRATION NUMBER N311G.
ON MAY 22, 2019, AT APPROXIMATELY 12:45 P.M. EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME (1645 ZULU), A CESSNA CITIATION S-550, N311G IMPACTED TERRAIN ABOUT ½ MILE NORTHEAST OF THE INDIANAPOLIS REGIONAL AIRPORT (MQJ), GREENFIELD, INDIANA AFTER TAKEOFF. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REGISTERED TO ZEUS, LLC AND WAS OPERATING UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. THE SINGLE PILOT AND PASSENGER SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY THE IMPACT AND POST-CRASH FIRE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN AND WAS NOT IN CONTACT WITH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL AFTER TAKEOFF. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS WIND 180 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, CEILING 4600 FEET BROKEN AND 9500 FEET BROKEN. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED MQJ APPROXIMATELY AT 12:43 P.M. TO MINDEN-TAHOE AIRPORT (MEV), NEVADA.
THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT CERTIFICATED PILOT WAS ISSUED A SECOND CLASS MEDICAL WITH NO LIMITATIONS DATED NOVEMBER 11, 2018. THE PILOT REPORTED ON HIS MEDICAL APPLICATION HIS FLIGHT EXPERIENCE INCLUDED 3,530 TOTAL HOURS AND 102 HOURS IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS.
THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN IN MAINTENANCE AT MQJ FOR AN AVIONICS UPGRADE AND AIRCRAFT INSPECTIONS. THE MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN STATED THE AIRCRAFT HAD FLOWN TWO DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT TO CHECK OUT THE AUTOPILOT. THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMED NORMALLY DURING THAT MAINTENANCE FLIGHT.
THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY ½ MILE NORTHEAST OF THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 07 AT MQJ. THE DEBRIS FIELD WAS MEASURED 270 FEET LONG. THE LEFT WING APPEARS TO HAVE IMPACTED FIRST AS EVIDENCE BY DEBRIS AND THE NAVIGATION LIGHT LENSE. THE INITIAL GROUND SCAR WAS ALIGNED ON A 327 DEGREE MAGNETIC HEADING (MH). THE AIRCRAFT NOSE CAME TO REST ON A 268 DEGREE MH, THE WINGS CAME TO REST ON A 219 DEGREE MH, AND THE TAIL CAME TO REST ON A 182 DEGREE MH. A POST-IMPACT FIRE CONSUMED EIGHTY PERCENT OF THE AIRCRAFT.
TWO WITNESSES ON THE GROUND REPORTED SEEING THE AIRCRAFT IN AN ESTIMATED NINETY DEGREE LEFT BANK WITH THE NOSE PARALLEL TO THE HORIZON SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. ONE OF THE WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT?S NOSE LOWER SLIGHTLY BEFORE RISING AGAIN TO A PARALLEL ATTITUDE. AT NO POINT DID HE OBSERVE THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT RISE ABOVE THE HORIZON. THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE AGAIN LOWERED AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND.
THIS REPORT MAY BE AMENDED AS THE INVESTIGATION PROGRESSES.