What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N19AS a Cessna 320 skyknight serial number 320-0086, departed runway 15 at lago vista, rusty allen airport (kryw) under visual flight rules at approximately 17:21 UTC.
Opsvue data shows the aircraft departed to the east, climbed and maintained between 2300 and 2700 feet of altitude. Airspeed was noted between 120 and 140 miles per hour for the majority of the flight. The last reported position is approximately 3 miles southeast of the town of thorndale, TX in a left hand turn back towards the west as approximately 17:44 UTC. The aircraft continued flight for 19 minutes, which was not captured on either opsvue, flightaware or any air traffic control center system.
Several witnesses reported seeing the aircraft near roundrock Texas headed in a west and or northwest direction (approximately towards the crash site). One witness, a pilot, stated he saw the landing gear extend down and that one engine was definitely running rough and backfiring for approximately 15 to 20 seconds. Another witness stated that he noted a twin engine aircraft with the gear down appear to be flying low and slow towards the northwest.
Three other witnesses observed the aircraft just before the crash while driving westbound on fm 1431. One witness reported flames/fire from the pilot?s left engine. Another other witness stated she saw smoke trailing from the aircraft.
The aircraft crashed on the privacy data omitted in roundrock, Texas at approximately 18:03 UTC.
The aircraft struck three sets of trees approximately 150 yards apart in a low angle attitude on an approximate heading of 048. The pilot/owner was the sole occupant.
A witness at the departure airport reported seeing the aircraft start the left engine normally, then the right engine at which time he noted the aircraft begin to rotate on the left main landing gear and move close to a nearby truck. The witness noted the aircraft was shut down and ?work? Was performed on the right hand landing gear. It was reported that assistance was asked in bleeding the brakes prior to restart and the subsequent flight.
A statement from the A&P who assisted with the brake bleeding was obtained.
The owner of the hangar where the aircraft was stored stated that the purpose of the flight was to determine any maintenance issues prior to the aircraft going into annual inspection and to include the testing of the recent installation of ADS-B on the aircraft.
A review of the aircraft and engine logbooks determined the last maintenance entry made was July 10, 2019.
As the FAA filed it
N19AS A CESSNA 320 SKYKNIGHT SERIAL NUMBER 320-0086, DEPARTED RUNWAY 15 AT LAGO VISTA, RUSTY ALLEN AIRPORT (KRYW) UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES AT APPROXIMATELY 17:21 UTC.
OPSVUE DATA SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED TO THE EAST, CLIMBED AND MAINTAINED BETWEEN 2300 AND 2700 FEET OF ALTITUDE. AIRSPEED WAS NOTED BETWEEN 120 AND 140 MILES PER HOUR FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE FLIGHT. THE LAST REPORTED POSITION IS APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE TOWN OF THORNDALE, TX IN A LEFT HAND TURN BACK TOWARDS THE WEST AS APPROXIMATELY 17:44 UTC. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED FLIGHT FOR 19 MINUTES, WHICH WAS NOT CAPTURED ON EITHER OPSVUE, FLIGHTAWARE OR ANY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER SYSTEM.
SEVERAL WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE AIRCRAFT NEAR ROUNDROCK TEXAS HEADED IN A WEST AND OR NORTHWEST DIRECTION (APPROXIMATELY TOWARDS THE CRASH SITE). ONE WITNESS, A PILOT, STATED HE SAW THE LANDING GEAR EXTEND DOWN AND THAT ONE ENGINE WAS DEFINITELY RUNNING ROUGH AND BACKFIRING FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 TO 20 SECONDS. ANOTHER WITNESS STATED THAT HE NOTED A TWIN ENGINE AIRCRAFT WITH THE GEAR DOWN APPEAR TO BE FLYING LOW AND SLOW TOWARDS THE NORTHWEST.
THREE OTHER WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT JUST BEFORE THE CRASH WHILE DRIVING WESTBOUND ON FM 1431. ONE WITNESS REPORTED FLAMES/FIRE FROM THE PILOT?S LEFT ENGINE. ANOTHER OTHER WITNESS STATED SHE SAW SMOKE TRAILING FROM THE AIRCRAFT.
THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IN ROUNDROCK, TEXAS AT APPROXIMATELY 18:03 UTC.
THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THREE SETS OF TREES APPROXIMATELY 150 YARDS APART IN A LOW ANGLE ATTITUDE ON AN APPROXIMATE HEADING OF 048. THE PILOT/OWNER WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT.
A WITNESS AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT REPORTED SEEING THE AIRCRAFT START THE LEFT ENGINE NORMALLY, THEN THE RIGHT ENGINE AT WHICH TIME HE NOTED THE AIRCRAFT BEGIN TO ROTATE ON THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND MOVE CLOSE TO A NEARBY TRUCK. THE WITNESS NOTED THE AIRCRAFT WAS SHUT DOWN AND ?WORK? WAS PERFORMED ON THE RIGHT HAND LANDING GEAR. IT WAS REPORTED THAT ASSISTANCE WAS ASKED IN BLEEDING THE BRAKES PRIOR TO RESTART AND THE SUBSEQUENT FLIGHT.
A STATEMENT FROM THE A&P WHO ASSISTED WITH THE BRAKE BLEEDING WAS OBTAINED.
THE OWNER OF THE HANGAR WHERE THE AIRCRAFT WAS STORED STATED THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO DETERMINE ANY MAINTENANCE ISSUES PRIOR TO THE AIRCRAFT GOING INTO ANNUAL INSPECTION AND TO INCLUDE THE TESTING OF THE RECENT INSTALLATION OF ADS-B ON THE AIRCRAFT.
A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE LOGBOOKS DETERMINED THE LAST MAINTENANCE ENTRY MADE WAS JULY 10, 2019.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.