What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Accident description: the aircraft departed mineral wells airport (mwl) at 1251 CST, flying directly to gsj, then completing an 180 degree apparent normal rate right turn parallel to his inbound flight path. The last flight information (provided by privacy data omitted) indicated the aircraft in a right base to gdj at 1000 feet AGL at 87 knots. The aircraft accident site was not discovered until about noon the next day by a ranch hand passing by the accident site on an adjacent dirt road. The aircraft was found in a stand of cedar trees. The landing gear appears to have been extended and the flaps appear to have been retracted. The engine and propeller was about 30 inches into the semi-soft ground. The aircraft presented itself with classic aerodynamic stall characteristics however, no lateral spin evidence was noted. The wing tanks ruptured and the ground showed evidence of fluid motion along the flight path. The aircraft departed mwl with 35 gallons of fuel in each of the main tanks, as confirmed by the person who fueled the aircraft just prior to departure. The aircraft was destroyed by impact and the pilot received fatal injuries.
As the FAA filed it
ACCIDENT DESCRIPTION: THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED MINERAL WELLS AIRPORT (MWL) AT 1251 CST, FLYING DIRECTLY TO GSJ, THEN COMPLETING AN 180 DEGREE APPARENT NORMAL RATE RIGHT TURN PARALLEL TO HIS INBOUND FLIGHT PATH. THE LAST FLIGHT INFORMATION (PROVIDED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^) INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT IN A RIGHT BASE TO GDJ AT 1000 FEET AGL AT 87 KNOTS. THE AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT SITE WAS NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL ABOUT NOON THE NEXT DAY BY A RANCH HAND PASSING BY THE ACCIDENT SITE ON AN ADJACENT DIRT ROAD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND IN A STAND OF CEDAR TREES. THE LANDING GEAR APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN EXTENDED AND THE FLAPS APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN RETRACTED. THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER WAS ABOUT 30 INCHES INTO THE SEMI-SOFT GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT PRESENTED ITSELF WITH CLASSIC AERODYNAMIC STALL CHARACTERISTICS HOWEVER, NO LATERAL SPIN EVIDENCE WAS NOTED. THE WING TANKS RUPTURED AND THE GROUND SHOWED EVIDENCE OF FLUID MOTION ALONG THE FLIGHT PATH. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED MWL WITH 35 GALLONS OF FUEL IN EACH OF THE MAIN TANKS, AS CONFIRMED BY THE PERSON WHO FUELED THE AIRCRAFT JUST PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT AND THE PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.