What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A witness and the front seat passenger provided statements that the aircraft lost power in proximity of lower Fire lake.
The passenger, in a written statement, detailed his father, the accident aircraft pilot, planned to overfly the multi-use lake to check for a clear field prior to landing.
He indicated that after heading south and passing the west side of the island within the lake, to examine the landing area, power was lost after turning right (west) and preparing to land to the north.
He states his father acknowledged a problem but did not specify the nature of the problem.
The front seat passenger, also private pilot certificate holder, states he performed a quick visual check and observed the mixture was in, that magnetos were set to both and the fuel selector was set to both, prior to his father announcing he was going to try to land to the north.
He said his father began to turn left (east) before stating they would crash.
After the turn, the front-seat passenger described hearing the stall warning, striking trees and then violently pitching toward the ground prior to impact. He woke to fuel pouring on him and in his face, following the impact and a neighbor pulling him from the wreckage.
The aircraft appears to have crashed while on the base leg of landing, heading to the east.
As the FAA filed it
A WITNESS AND THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER PROVIDED STATEMENTS THAT THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER IN PROXIMITY OF LOWER FIRE LAKE.
THE PASSENGER, IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT, DETAILED HIS FATHER, THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT PILOT, PLANNED TO OVERFLY THE MULTI-USE LAKE TO CHECK FOR A CLEAR FIELD PRIOR TO LANDING.
HE INDICATED THAT AFTER HEADING SOUTH AND PASSING THE WEST SIDE OF THE ISLAND WITHIN THE LAKE, TO EXAMINE THE LANDING AREA, POWER WAS LOST AFTER TURNING RIGHT (WEST) AND PREPARING TO LAND TO THE NORTH.
HE STATES HIS FATHER ACKNOWLEDGED A PROBLEM BUT DID NOT SPECIFY THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM.
THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER, ALSO PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE HOLDER, STATES HE PERFORMED A QUICK VISUAL CHECK AND OBSERVED THE MIXTURE WAS IN, THAT MAGNETOS WERE SET TO BOTH AND THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SET TO BOTH, PRIOR TO HIS FATHER ANNOUNCING HE WAS GOING TO TRY TO LAND TO THE NORTH.
HE SAID HIS FATHER BEGAN TO TURN LEFT (EAST) BEFORE STATING THEY WOULD CRASH.
AFTER THE TURN, THE FRONT-SEAT PASSENGER DESCRIBED HEARING THE STALL WARNING, STRIKING TREES AND THEN VIOLENTLY PITCHING TOWARD THE GROUND PRIOR TO IMPACT. HE WOKE TO FUEL POURING ON HIM AND IN HIS FACE, FOLLOWING THE IMPACT AND A NEIGHBOR PULLING HIM FROM THE WRECKAGE.
THE AIRCRAFT APPEARS TO HAVE CRASHED WHILE ON THE BASE LEG OF LANDING, HEADING TO THE EAST.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.