What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 11/12/2021 at approximately 13:30 PST N984LD stopped at inyo kern airport (kiyk) an purchase 5 gallons of aviation fuel along with an additional 2 gallons placed into a portable plastic gas can, which was stowed on board the aircraft.
There were two male individuals on board, at that time.
The aircraft then departed inyo kern airport (kiyk) and proceeded south.
At approximately 14:15 PST three witnesses noticed the aircraft in the downwind pattern (just south and due east of the old Army dirt Airstrip).
The witnesses stated that the aircraft was flying rather low and oscillating vertically, somewhat, as it followed the low ridge just south of the Airstrip.
Witnesses then stated that the engine sound seamed normal while the aircraft made its final base turn and then they observed the aircraft make an extreme left turn (close to 90º) toward the Airstrip and the they heard the engine speed increase (seemed like the engine went to full power).
The aircraft then fell out of the sky, impacted the ground, flipped on its back and exploded into flames.
Both male occupants held pilot licenses.
Both occupants died on impacted and were burned in the fire.
No flight plan had been filed for this flight.
The aircraft was destroyed in the fire.
The plastic fuel can survived the crash and was found still containing approximately 2 gallons of fuel just west of the aircraft wreckage.
METAR knid 122156Z auto 12005KT 10SM clr 27/01 A3019 rmk AO2 SLP212 T02720006 $=
Eye whitness:
privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
ON 11/12/2021 AT APPROXIMATELY 13:30 PST N984LD STOPPED AT INYO KERN AIRPORT (KIYK) AN PURCHASE 5 GALLONS OF AVIATION FUEL ALONG WITH AN ADDITIONAL 2 GALLONS PLACED INTO A PORTABLE PLASTIC GAS CAN, WHICH WAS STOWED ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT.
THERE WERE TWO MALE INDIVIDUALS ON BOARD, AT THAT TIME.
THE AIRCRAFT THEN DEPARTED INYO KERN AIRPORT (KIYK) AND PROCEEDED SOUTH.
AT APPROXIMATELY 14:15 PST THREE WITNESSES NOTICED THE AIRCRAFT IN THE DOWNWIND PATTERN (JUST SOUTH AND DUE EAST OF THE OLD ARMY DIRT AIRSTRIP).
THE WITNESSES STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING RATHER LOW AND OSCILLATING VERTICALLY, SOMEWHAT, AS IT FOLLOWED THE LOW RIDGE JUST SOUTH OF THE AIRSTRIP.
WITNESSES THEN STATED THAT THE ENGINE SOUND SEAMED NORMAL WHILE THE AIRCRAFT MADE ITS FINAL BASE TURN AND THEN THEY OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT MAKE AN EXTREME LEFT TURN (CLOSE TO 90º) TOWARD THE AIRSTRIP AND THE THEY HEARD THE ENGINE SPEED INCREASE (SEEMED LIKE THE ENGINE WENT TO FULL POWER).
THE AIRCRAFT THEN FELL OUT OF THE SKY, IMPACTED THE GROUND, FLIPPED ON ITS BACK AND EXPLODED INTO FLAMES.
BOTH MALE OCCUPANTS HELD PILOT LICENSES.
BOTH OCCUPANTS DIED ON IMPACTED AND WERE BURNED IN THE FIRE.
NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THIS FLIGHT.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED IN THE FIRE.
THE PLASTIC FUEL CAN SURVIVED THE CRASH AND WAS FOUND STILL CONTAINING APPROXIMATELY 2 GALLONS OF FUEL JUST WEST OF THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE.
METAR KNID 122156Z AUTO 12005KT 10SM CLR 27/01 A3019 RMK AO2 SLP212 T02720006 $=
EYE WHITNESS:
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.