What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Thursday, April 15, 2021, N2506N departed the sedona, AZ airport (sez) to the grand canyon airport (gcn). The aircraft was involved in an accident at approximately 19:30 MST near the Williams, AZ airport (cmr).
The aircraft was discovered on Monday, April 19, 2021, at approximately 01:40 MST by the Arizona department of public safety. The FAA roc and FSDO WP19 were notified at 0300 MST, the FAA investigating inspector arrived on scene at 07:30 MST.
The initial site investigation revealed that the pilot and passenger were fatally injured, they were identified as pilot privacy data omitted and privacy data omitted. The aircraft had a significant amount of fuel in both tanks. No post crash fire occurred. The aircraft exhibited a high angle collision with terrain, which was level with sparse trees. Flight control continuity was examined, up to the cockpit area and appeared normal for function. The forward portion of the flight controls could not be examined on site due to the extensive damage.
The pilot held a commercial certificate with an instrument rating in asel. Review of the pilot's log book indicated he was not night current for carrying passengers and had little experience flying at night. The accident occurred at the end of civil twilight. A 44709 reexam was initiated in the prior month by the san diego FSDO for a previous accident. A letter informing the pilot had not been sent prior to the accident.
The aircraft had approximately 2900 hours total time with the last annual inspection being completed on March 28, 2021, engine 100HR March 7, 2021 and transponder March 19, 2021. The ELT battery was noted to be good until 2023.
Adsb data captured the flight from sez on a direct course to cmr. It indicated a 45 degree entry into the traffic pattern, the downwind leg, and base leg for runway 18. Data ended while the aircraft was on base.
The pilot and privacy data omitted had a sky diving appointment at 0900, Friday April 16, 2021 at gcn. The pilot posted many videos of his flight on youtube. Two gopro cameras, a digital camera, 2 iphones, and two ipads have been recovered.
One gopro camera was mounted to the strut of the left wing. The the video data from this camera was reviewed and captured the flight from sez to cmr and the accident. The flight from sez to cmr seemed to be without incident. The video shows N2506N landing safely on runway 18 at cmr. After taxi to the ramp area and shutting down, the pilot opens the cowling and states that no oil is spewing. He explains toprivacy data omitted that the tach cable is attached, but the internal mechanism of the tach may be broken. He also states that technically he should not be flying the aircraft, however he would feel safer if they continued to gcn.
The aircraft is seen leaving cmr runway 36 at late evening civil twilight. After take off it enters a right crosswind turn into darkness. Wind reported at the time was 290@4G14. The aircraft enters a right spiral or spin in a nose low attitude. The video is black against the dark sky and the terrain. A reduction in power is heard prior to impact.
As the FAA filed it
ON THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021, N2506N DEPARTED THE SEDONA, AZ AIRPORT (SEZ) TO THE GRAND CANYON AIRPORT (GCN). THE AIRCRAFT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AT APPROXIMATELY 19:30 MST NEAR THE WILLIAMS, AZ AIRPORT (CMR).
THE AIRCRAFT WAS DISCOVERED ON MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021, AT APPROXIMATELY 01:40 MST BY THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY. THE FAA ROC AND FSDO WP19 WERE NOTIFIED AT 0300 MST, THE FAA INVESTIGATING INSPECTOR ARRIVED ON SCENE AT 07:30 MST.
THE INITIAL SITE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED, THEY WERE IDENTIFIED AS PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE AIRCRAFT HAD A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUEL IN BOTH TANKS. NO POST CRASH FIRE OCCURRED. THE AIRCRAFT EXHIBITED A HIGH ANGLE COLLISION WITH TERRAIN, WHICH WAS LEVEL WITH SPARSE TREES. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS EXAMINED, UP TO THE COCKPIT AREA AND APPEARED NORMAL FOR FUNCTION. THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS COULD NOT BE EXAMINED ON SITE DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE.
THE PILOT HELD A COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATE WITH AN INSTRUMENT RATING IN ASEL. REVIEW OF THE PILOT'S LOG BOOK INDICATED HE WAS NOT NIGHT CURRENT FOR CARRYING PASSENGERS AND HAD LITTLE EXPERIENCE FLYING AT NIGHT. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT THE END OF CIVIL TWILIGHT. A 44709 REEXAM WAS INITIATED IN THE PRIOR MONTH BY THE SAN DIEGO FSDO FOR A PREVIOUS ACCIDENT. A LETTER INFORMING THE PILOT HAD NOT BEEN SENT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
THE AIRCRAFT HAD APPROXIMATELY 2900 HOURS TOTAL TIME WITH THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION BEING COMPLETED ON MARCH 28, 2021, ENGINE 100HR MARCH 7, 2021 AND TRANSPONDER MARCH 19, 2021. THE ELT BATTERY WAS NOTED TO BE GOOD UNTIL 2023.
ADSB DATA CAPTURED THE FLIGHT FROM SEZ ON A DIRECT COURSE TO CMR. IT INDICATED A 45 DEGREE ENTRY INTO THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, THE DOWNWIND LEG, AND BASE LEG FOR RUNWAY 18. DATA ENDED WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON BASE.
THE PILOT AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD A SKY DIVING APPOINTMENT AT 0900, FRIDAY APRIL 16, 2021 AT GCN. THE PILOT POSTED MANY VIDEOS OF HIS FLIGHT ON YOUTUBE. TWO GOPRO CAMERAS, A DIGITAL CAMERA, 2 IPHONES, AND TWO IPADS HAVE BEEN RECOVERED.
ONE GOPRO CAMERA WAS MOUNTED TO THE STRUT OF THE LEFT WING. THE THE VIDEO DATA FROM THIS CAMERA WAS REVIEWED AND CAPTURED THE FLIGHT FROM SEZ TO CMR AND THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT FROM SEZ TO CMR SEEMED TO BE WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE VIDEO SHOWS N2506N LANDING SAFELY ON RUNWAY 18 AT CMR. AFTER TAXI TO THE RAMP AREA AND SHUTTING DOWN, THE PILOT OPENS THE COWLING AND STATES THAT NO OIL IS SPEWING. HE EXPLAINS TO^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THAT THE TACH CABLE IS ATTACHED, BUT THE INTERNAL MECHANISM OF THE TACH MAY BE BROKEN. HE ALSO STATES THAT TECHNICALLY HE SHOULD NOT BE FLYING THE AIRCRAFT, HOWEVER HE WOULD FEEL SAFER IF THEY CONTINUED TO GCN.
THE AIRCRAFT IS SEEN LEAVING CMR RUNWAY 36 AT LATE EVENING CIVIL TWILIGHT. AFTER TAKE OFF IT ENTERS A RIGHT CROSSWIND TURN INTO DARKNESS. WIND REPORTED AT THE TIME WAS 290@4G14. THE AIRCRAFT ENTERS A RIGHT SPIRAL OR SPIN IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. THE VIDEO IS BLACK AGAINST THE DARK SKY AND THE TERRAIN. A REDUCTION IN POWER IS HEARD PRIOR TO IMPACT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.