What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot and one passenger departed hnh for a local flight. The pilot stated that VMC prevailed and the winds were light. They returned to hnh and after a normal approach and landing, the pilot lost control of the aircraft during rollout.
The pilot stated that the aircraft was traveling very slowly on the runway and he looked down to locate the cowl flap controls. While he was looking down, the aircraft ground looped, the right wing tip struck the surface, and the aircraft veered off the runway and down a steep embankment. The aircraft immediately caught fire and both pilots were able to exit without injury. The aircraft was almost completely consumed.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER DEPARTED HNH FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT. THE PILOT STATED THAT VMC PREVAILED AND THE WINDS WERE LIGHT. THEY RETURNED TO HNH AND AFTER A NORMAL APPROACH AND LANDING, THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING ROLLOUT.
THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRAVELING VERY SLOWLY ON THE RUNWAY AND HE LOOKED DOWN TO LOCATE THE COWL FLAP CONTROLS. WHILE HE WAS LOOKING DOWN, THE AIRCRAFT GROUND LOOPED, THE RIGHT WING TIP STRUCK THE SURFACE, AND THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY AND DOWN A STEEP EMBANKMENT. THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY CAUGHT FIRE AND BOTH PILOTS WERE ABLE TO EXIT WITHOUT INJURY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY CONSUMED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.