What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft departed X26 with no issues noted. Aircraft flew to tix and began the approach to runway 9. Witness?s statements indicated that they noted that gear was down and the approach looked stable until about 150 feet short final. Aircraft bobbed slightly and pitched up. Another stated they saw the aircraft in level flight and within 2-3 seconds the aircraft pitched down 30-45 nose low and banked to the side. Video showed the aircraft in a steep climb and went out of view. The aircraft re-emerged on the video in a steep nose down attitude and impacted the ground.
ATC communication with the pilot was routine on final and was cleared to land. Aircraft failed to land and as noted by the witness the aircraft suddenly pitched up and they assumed the pilot was initiating a go around. The controller stated 75VICTOR state your intentions and the last response from the pilot was ?victor I have a?
The aircraft impacted the ground approximately 2000? Down runway 9 and 400 feet to the right of the centerline. Wreckage was located near the edge of taxiway b.
The majority of the aircraft fuselage and components were consumed by post impact fire along with aircraft maintenance records.
The aircraft wreckage was removed for further examination. The NTSB iic and velocity aircraft technical resource performed an inspection of the wreckage.
The elevator pushrod section that connected to the control stick was recovered with no threaded rod end engaged, and the rod end was not recovered. NTSB to conduct a metallurgical inspection. Continuity of the elevator was confirmed though torque tubes, with the exception of the retained pushrod section to the cockpit. The control stick was not recovered.
It was noted the three composite propeller blades remained attached to the hub and all three blades separated about 12 in from their respective roots.
The engine and accessories had post impact and fire damage. On 12/03/2021 an examination of the engine was conducted. Damage observed to components was caused by impact or fire damage. Subsequent removal of impact/ fire damaged parts allowed for the engine to rotate and produce compression.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT DEPARTED X26 WITH NO ISSUES NOTED. AIRCRAFT FLEW TO TIX AND BEGAN THE APPROACH TO RUNWAY 9. WITNESS?S STATEMENTS INDICATED THAT THEY NOTED THAT GEAR WAS DOWN AND THE APPROACH LOOKED STABLE UNTIL ABOUT 150 FEET SHORT FINAL. AIRCRAFT BOBBED SLIGHTLY AND PITCHED UP. ANOTHER STATED THEY SAW THE AIRCRAFT IN LEVEL FLIGHT AND WITHIN 2-3 SECONDS THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED DOWN 30-45 NOSE LOW AND BANKED TO THE SIDE. VIDEO SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT IN A STEEP CLIMB AND WENT OUT OF VIEW. THE AIRCRAFT RE-EMERGED ON THE VIDEO IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND IMPACTED THE GROUND.
ATC COMMUNICATION WITH THE PILOT WAS ROUTINE ON FINAL AND WAS CLEARED TO LAND. AIRCRAFT FAILED TO LAND AND AS NOTED BY THE WITNESS THE AIRCRAFT SUDDENLY PITCHED UP AND THEY ASSUMED THE PILOT WAS INITIATING A GO AROUND. THE CONTROLLER STATED 75VICTOR STATE YOUR INTENTIONS AND THE LAST RESPONSE FROM THE PILOT WAS ?VICTOR I HAVE A?
THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 2000? DOWN RUNWAY 9 AND 400 FEET TO THE RIGHT OF THE CENTERLINE. WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED NEAR THE EDGE OF TAXIWAY B.
THE MAJORITY OF THE AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE AND COMPONENTS WERE CONSUMED BY POST IMPACT FIRE ALONG WITH AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS.
THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS REMOVED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. THE NTSB IIC AND VELOCITY AIRCRAFT TECHNICAL RESOURCE PERFORMED AN INSPECTION OF THE WRECKAGE.
THE ELEVATOR PUSHROD SECTION THAT CONNECTED TO THE CONTROL STICK WAS RECOVERED WITH NO THREADED ROD END ENGAGED, AND THE ROD END WAS NOT RECOVERED. NTSB TO CONDUCT A METALLURGICAL INSPECTION. CONTINUITY OF THE ELEVATOR WAS CONFIRMED THOUGH TORQUE TUBES, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE RETAINED PUSHROD SECTION TO THE COCKPIT. THE CONTROL STICK WAS NOT RECOVERED.
IT WAS NOTED THE THREE COMPOSITE PROPELLER BLADES REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE HUB AND ALL THREE BLADES SEPARATED ABOUT 12 IN FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE ROOTS.
THE ENGINE AND ACCESSORIES HAD POST IMPACT AND FIRE DAMAGE. ON 12/03/2021 AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE WAS CONDUCTED. DAMAGE OBSERVED TO COMPONENTS WAS CAUSED BY IMPACT OR FIRE DAMAGE. SUBSEQUENT REMOVAL OF IMPACT/ FIRE DAMAGED PARTS ALLOWED FOR THE ENGINE TO ROTATE AND PRODUCE COMPRESSION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N755V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.