What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 02/11/2022, pilot departed from castroville, (cvb), TX for destination to West Houston Airport (iws), Texas. While on short final airplane was lined up with rwy 15 at iws, the airplane hit the top of a tree (approximately 45-55 ft tall). The tree was approximately 612 ft from runway 15 threshold. Iaw flightaware ADS-B information the airplane was traveling at approximately between 54-59 KTS. A witness saw the airplane prior to the strike. He saw the airplane going slow and low and tipped the wings left and right as if the pilot saw the tree at the last second. It looks like most likely the pilot pulled up causing the airplane to stall due to the low speed and tree branches slowing down airplane. The left wing went up over and the right wing dipped down to an inverted position and crashed at hole 8 of the golf course, approximately 50 to 75 yards from impacted tree. The right wing leading edge had damage marks from the tree branches. The nose of the airplane and the left wing outer 1/3 of the wing were crushed from initial impact. Flaps were set to 15 degrees. The empennage settled down after initial impact. There were signs of fuel dripping from both tanks as it was venting out. Fuel port covers were not opened due to airplane being up side down. Fuel sample was taken after airplane was flipped upright. Fuel was not contaminated and both tanks had plenty of fuel. There was no post crash fire. The passenger had several fractures in her legs and pelvis, she received two pints of blood before she was air lifted. Pilot had fractures in his lower extremities one was his femur, he received one pint of blood before being airlifted. Both pilot and passenger were airlifted to privacy data omitted. Checked status on 2/14/2022, they were both in icu and intubated. Update of pilot and privacy data omitted, on 5/18/2022-pilot is starting to stand and work on his legs, privacy data omitted-is only feeling her shoulders and head, she is feeling her elbow on the right arm. Examination of N201VZ was conducted by the NTSB on may 4, 2022, at privacy data omitted of dallas, Texas. No evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction was noted during the examination of recovered airframe and engine. Status update 7/26/2022, pilot is able to walk with cane and still attending physical therapy, privacy data omitted is able to feel down to her fingers but has no feeling from waist down.
As the FAA filed it
ON 02/11/2022, PILOT DEPARTED FROM CASTROVILLE, (CVB), TX FOR DESTINATION TO WEST HOUSTON AIRPORT (IWS), TEXAS. WHILE ON SHORT FINAL AIRPLANE WAS LINED UP WITH RWY 15 AT IWS, THE AIRPLANE HIT THE TOP OF A TREE (APPROXIMATELY 45-55 FT TALL). THE TREE WAS APPROXIMATELY 612 FT FROM RUNWAY 15 THRESHOLD. IAW FLIGHTAWARE ADS-B INFORMATION THE AIRPLANE WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 54-59 KTS. A WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE PRIOR TO THE STRIKE. HE SAW THE AIRPLANE GOING SLOW AND LOW AND TIPPED THE WINGS LEFT AND RIGHT AS IF THE PILOT SAW THE TREE AT THE LAST SECOND. IT LOOKS LIKE MOST LIKELY THE PILOT PULLED UP CAUSING THE AIRPLANE TO STALL DUE TO THE LOW SPEED AND TREE BRANCHES SLOWING DOWN AIRPLANE. THE LEFT WING WENT UP OVER AND THE RIGHT WING DIPPED DOWN TO AN INVERTED POSITION AND CRASHED AT HOLE 8 OF THE GOLF COURSE, APPROXIMATELY 50 TO 75 YARDS FROM IMPACTED TREE. THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE HAD DAMAGE MARKS FROM THE TREE BRANCHES. THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE AND THE LEFT WING OUTER 1/3 OF THE WING WERE CRUSHED FROM INITIAL IMPACT. FLAPS WERE SET TO 15 DEGREES. THE EMPENNAGE SETTLED DOWN AFTER INITIAL IMPACT. THERE WERE SIGNS OF FUEL DRIPPING FROM BOTH TANKS AS IT WAS VENTING OUT. FUEL PORT COVERS WERE NOT OPENED DUE TO AIRPLANE BEING UP SIDE DOWN. FUEL SAMPLE WAS TAKEN AFTER AIRPLANE WAS FLIPPED UPRIGHT. FUEL WAS NOT CONTAMINATED AND BOTH TANKS HAD PLENTY OF FUEL. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE. THE PASSENGER HAD SEVERAL FRACTURES IN HER LEGS AND PELVIS, SHE RECEIVED TWO PINTS OF BLOOD BEFORE SHE WAS AIR LIFTED. PILOT HAD FRACTURES IN HIS LOWER EXTREMITIES ONE WAS HIS FEMUR, HE RECEIVED ONE PINT OF BLOOD BEFORE BEING AIRLIFTED. BOTH PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE AIRLIFTED TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. CHECKED STATUS ON 2/14/2022, THEY WERE BOTH IN ICU AND INTUBATED. UPDATE OF PILOT AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, ON 5/18/2022-PILOT IS STARTING TO STAND AND WORK ON HIS LEGS, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^-IS ONLY FEELING HER SHOULDERS AND HEAD, SHE IS FEELING HER ELBOW ON THE RIGHT ARM. EXAMINATION OF N201VZ WAS CONDUCTED BY THE NTSB ON MAY 4, 2022, AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF DALLAS, TEXAS. NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WAS NOTED DURING THE EXAMINATION OF RECOVERED AIRFRAME AND ENGINE. STATUS UPDATE 7/26/2022, PILOT IS ABLE TO WALK WITH CANE AND STILL ATTENDING PHYSICAL THERAPY, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IS ABLE TO FEEL DOWN TO HER FINGERS BUT HAS NO FEELING FROM WAIST DOWN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.