What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 28, 2021, about 1048 eastern daylight time, a Lancair Evolution airplane, N515DL, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Mcdermott, Ohio. The private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight. A review of air traffic control (ATC) information revealed the airplane departed about 1014 from bellefontaine regional airport (edj), bellefontaine, Ohio on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan, with a destination of charleston international airport (chs), charleston, south carolina. The airplane climbed to flight level (FL) 250 and then accelerated to 215 knots groundspeed. During the next 1 minute and 43 seconds, while level on a southeasterly heading, the airplane gradually decelerated to 146 knots groundspeed. The airplane subsequently made a left turn and a rapid descent occurred. During this timeframe, the pilot?s transmitter became stuck and a distressed conversation between the pilot and passenger was audible. The controller made unsuccessful attempts to contact the pilot and radar contact was lost. A witness observed the airplane in a spiral descent with what appeared to be a missing wing. The airplane impacted into a forest with a vertical nose down attitude and a fire ensued. The airplane was equipped with a parachute recovery system; the ballistic charge for the system expended during the fire. The right wing (outboard 9 ft) was located about ½ mile northeast of the main wreckage. Examination of the engine and propeller revealed rotational signatures consistent with engine power during ground impact and no preimpact anomalies of the airframe were observed. An airman?s meteorological information (AIRMET) for icing was valid up to 22,000 ft, and an AIRMET for moderate turbulence was valid from 25,000 ft to 42,000 ft that covered edj and the accident location.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 28, 2021, ABOUT 1048 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A LANCAIR EVOLUTION AIRPLANE, N515DL, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR MCDERMOTT, OHIO. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. A REVIEW OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) INFORMATION REVEALED THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED ABOUT 1014 FROM BELLEFONTAINE REGIONAL AIRPORT (EDJ), BELLEFONTAINE, OHIO ON AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN, WITH A DESTINATION OF CHARLESTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (CHS), CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA. THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED TO FLIGHT LEVEL (FL) 250 AND THEN ACCELERATED TO 215 KNOTS GROUNDSPEED. DURING THE NEXT 1 MINUTE AND 43 SECONDS, WHILE LEVEL ON A SOUTHEASTERLY HEADING, THE AIRPLANE GRADUALLY DECELERATED TO 146 KNOTS GROUNDSPEED. THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY MADE A LEFT TURN AND A RAPID DESCENT OCCURRED. DURING THIS TIMEFRAME, THE PILOT?S TRANSMITTER BECAME STUCK AND A DISTRESSED CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WAS AUDIBLE. THE CONTROLLER MADE UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THE PILOT AND RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. A WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE IN A SPIRAL DESCENT WITH WHAT APPEARED TO BE A MISSING WING. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED INTO A FOREST WITH A VERTICAL NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND A FIRE ENSUED. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A PARACHUTE RECOVERY SYSTEM; THE BALLISTIC CHARGE FOR THE SYSTEM EXPENDED DURING THE FIRE. THE RIGHT WING (OUTBOARD 9 FT) WAS LOCATED ABOUT ½ MILE NORTHEAST OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER REVEALED ROTATIONAL SIGNATURES CONSISTENT WITH ENGINE POWER DURING GROUND IMPACT AND NO PREIMPACT ANOMALIES OF THE AIRFRAME WERE OBSERVED. AN AIRMAN?S METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION (AIRMET) FOR ICING WAS VALID UP TO 22,000 FT, AND AN AIRMET FOR MODERATE TURBULENCE WAS VALID FROM 25,000 FT TO 42,000 FT THAT COVERED EDJ AND THE ACCIDENT LOCATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.