What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Awaiting NTSB travel restriction to be lifted to perform breakdown inspection of engine.
On June 09, 2020, about 08:45 local mountain standard time, an amateur-built aircraft model RV-4, serial number 95-1736, N173CW which was certificated under the provisions of 14 CFR section 21.191(g) (amateur-built) departed tucson international airport, Arizona (tus) to Safford Regional Airport, Arizona (sad). At approximately one mile south east of (sad) the aircraft crashed on (mesa top) hill side. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed with ATC. The one pilot onboard sustained fatal injuries.
Members of the graham county sheriff?s office and Safford police department responded and located a yellow colored plane on the hillside south of the airport. With the assistance of air vac and another citizen the wreckage was viewed from the air and a way to the plane was communicated to law enforcement. Law enforcement and EMT?s from lifeline reached the crash and it was determined the pilot, a lone occupant, was deceased. With the assistance of the Safford fire department and members of the graham county search and rescue, pilot was removed from the wreckage and taken to the vining funeral home awaiting transport to the pima county medical examiner?s office for an autopsy.
The pilot reported his occupation as ?retired USN?. The pilot had a history of cataracts with intra-ocular lens placement in the left eye in 2014 and in the right eye in 2018. He demonstrated 20/20 vision during his 2020 exam. The pilot also reported a history of remote right shoulder dislocation and surgery, and 2017 right ankle fracture. He also reported malaria in 1945.
As the FAA filed it
AWAITING NTSB TRAVEL RESTRICTION TO BE LIFTED TO PERFORM BREAKDOWN INSPECTION OF ENGINE.
ON JUNE 09, 2020, ABOUT 08:45 LOCAL MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, AN AMATEUR-BUILT AIRCRAFT MODEL RV-4, SERIAL NUMBER 95-1736, N173CW WHICH WAS CERTIFICATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR SECTION 21.191(G) (AMATEUR-BUILT) DEPARTED TUCSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ARIZONA (TUS) TO SAFFORD REGIONAL AIRPORT, ARIZONA (SAD). AT APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE SOUTH EAST OF (SAD) THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON (MESA TOP) HILL SIDE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED WITH ATC. THE ONE PILOT ONBOARD SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES.
MEMBERS OF THE GRAHAM COUNTY SHERIFF?S OFFICE AND SAFFORD POLICE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED AND LOCATED A YELLOW COLORED PLANE ON THE HILLSIDE SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF AIR VAC AND ANOTHER CITIZEN THE WRECKAGE WAS VIEWED FROM THE AIR AND A WAY TO THE PLANE WAS COMMUNICATED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. LAW ENFORCEMENT AND EMT?S FROM LIFELINE REACHED THE CRASH AND IT WAS DETERMINED THE PILOT, A LONE OCCUPANT, WAS DECEASED. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE SAFFORD FIRE DEPARTMENT AND MEMBERS OF THE GRAHAM COUNTY SEARCH AND RESCUE, PILOT WAS REMOVED FROM THE WRECKAGE AND TAKEN TO THE VINING FUNERAL HOME AWAITING TRANSPORT TO THE PIMA COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER?S OFFICE FOR AN AUTOPSY.
THE PILOT REPORTED HIS OCCUPATION AS ?RETIRED USN?. THE PILOT HAD A HISTORY OF CATARACTS WITH INTRA-OCULAR LENS PLACEMENT IN THE LEFT EYE IN 2014 AND IN THE RIGHT EYE IN 2018. HE DEMONSTRATED 20/20 VISION DURING HIS 2020 EXAM. THE PILOT ALSO REPORTED A HISTORY OF REMOTE RIGHT SHOULDER DISLOCATION AND SURGERY, AND 2017 RIGHT ANKLE FRACTURE. HE ALSO REPORTED MALARIA IN 1945.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.