What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Received notice of airplane crash sundayapril 25, 2021 at 1136 eastern time. After coordinating with local leo, established that two passengers had survived a plane crash in a small experimental aircraft in a rural hilly area in upstate SC at mountain Rest. Leo stated that it was on private property and privacy data omitted would attempt to secure gate to discourage media or onlookers.
April 26, 2021 1030 local, inspector arrived on scene. Inspector photographed the area and inspected cockpit area and aircraft. Airplane appeared to impact trees, and decend at approx 45 degree angle coming to Rest in small ditch/creek in approx 1 foot of water. All major airplane componenets present after impact with tree. Empanage with all tail surfaces still stuck in tree about 300 feet above aircraft. Left wing detacthed and behind aircraft. Cockpit area broken open. Inital responders found pilot laying beside fueslage and passenger walking nearby. Pilot complained of chest injury and passenger complained of hip pain. Both airlifted to greenville memorial hospital (gmh). Pilot made statement to sheriff deputy on scene that engine had failed. Inspector called gmh to ask if pilot was able to give a statement. Nurse on duty stated that pilot did not wish to speak and that he had retained councel and inspector would need to speak with him. Inspector retrieved engine and airframe logbooks from cockpit. No other documents found at scene.
On may 11, 2020 aw inspector privacy data omitted travelled to westminster, SC to inspect the engine and to meet the privacy data omitted of N90KF. Inspection of the engine showed there to be no carb heater installed. A manufacturer operation manual from rotec stated on page 56 that an air filter and carburetor heater (both not supplied) should be incorporated in the air intake ducting. A subsequent call to the builder of this kit aircraft revealed that no carb heater was installed. He stated that it was not needed, because it was not supplied.
As the FAA filed it
RECEIVED NOTICE OF AIRPLANE CRASH SUNDAYAPRIL 25, 2021 AT 1136 EASTERN TIME. AFTER COORDINATING WITH LOCAL LEO, ESTABLISHED THAT TWO PASSENGERS HAD SURVIVED A PLANE CRASH IN A SMALL EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT IN A RURAL HILLY AREA IN UPSTATE SC AT MOUNTAIN REST. LEO STATED THAT IT WAS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WOULD ATTEMPT TO SECURE GATE TO DISCOURAGE MEDIA OR ONLOOKERS.
APRIL 26, 2021 1030 LOCAL, INSPECTOR ARRIVED ON SCENE. INSPECTOR PHOTOGRAPHED THE AREA AND INSPECTED COCKPIT AREA AND AIRCRAFT. AIRPLANE APPEARED TO IMPACT TREES, AND DECEND AT APPROX 45 DEGREE ANGLE COMING TO REST IN SMALL DITCH/CREEK IN APPROX 1 FOOT OF WATER. ALL MAJOR AIRPLANE COMPONENETS PRESENT AFTER IMPACT WITH TREE. EMPANAGE WITH ALL TAIL SURFACES STILL STUCK IN TREE ABOUT 300 FEET ABOVE AIRCRAFT. LEFT WING DETACTHED AND BEHIND AIRCRAFT. COCKPIT AREA BROKEN OPEN. INITAL RESPONDERS FOUND PILOT LAYING BESIDE FUESLAGE AND PASSENGER WALKING NEARBY. PILOT COMPLAINED OF CHEST INJURY AND PASSENGER COMPLAINED OF HIP PAIN. BOTH AIRLIFTED TO GREENVILLE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL (GMH). PILOT MADE STATEMENT TO SHERIFF DEPUTY ON SCENE THAT ENGINE HAD FAILED. INSPECTOR CALLED GMH TO ASK IF PILOT WAS ABLE TO GIVE A STATEMENT. NURSE ON DUTY STATED THAT PILOT DID NOT WISH TO SPEAK AND THAT HE HAD RETAINED COUNCEL AND INSPECTOR WOULD NEED TO SPEAK WITH HIM. INSPECTOR RETRIEVED ENGINE AND AIRFRAME LOGBOOKS FROM COCKPIT. NO OTHER DOCUMENTS FOUND AT SCENE.
ON MAY 11, 2020 AW INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TRAVELLED TO WESTMINSTER, SC TO INSPECT THE ENGINE AND TO MEET THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF N90KF. INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE SHOWED THERE TO BE NO CARB HEATER INSTALLED. A MANUFACTURER OPERATION MANUAL FROM ROTEC STATED ON PAGE 56 THAT AN AIR FILTER AND CARBURETOR HEATER (BOTH NOT SUPPLIED) SHOULD BE INCORPORATED IN THE AIR INTAKE DUCTING. A SUBSEQUENT CALL TO THE BUILDER OF THIS KIT AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT NO CARB HEATER WAS INSTALLED. HE STATED THAT IT WAS NOT NEEDED, BECAUSE IT WAS NOT SUPPLIED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.