What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Airplane was approaching sfq, in cruise flight at 1,000 ft, about 5 miles south of the airport. The airplane then descended rapidly and impacted terrain. A witness reported that she was a front seat passenger in a car and first observed he airplane in a nosedive. At that time, there were two spiral trails of black smoke, about 5 to 10 ft behind the airplane; however, she did not observe any fire from the airplane. The airplane impacted nose-down in a marshy field and no debris path was observed. A postcrash fire consumed the majority of the wreckage, with the exception of the wings and engine.
The engine was buried nose first in approximately 3 ft of mud.
As the FAA filed it
AIRPLANE WAS APPROACHING SFQ, IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 1,000 FT, ABOUT 5 MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE THEN DESCENDED RAPIDLY AND IMPACTED TERRAIN. A WITNESS REPORTED THAT SHE WAS A FRONT SEAT PASSENGER IN A CAR AND FIRST OBSERVED HE AIRPLANE IN A NOSEDIVE. AT THAT TIME, THERE WERE TWO SPIRAL TRAILS OF BLACK SMOKE, ABOUT 5 TO 10 FT BEHIND THE AIRPLANE; HOWEVER, SHE DID NOT OBSERVE ANY FIRE FROM THE AIRPLANE.THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED NOSE-DOWN IN A MARSHY FIELD AND NO DEBRIS PATH WAS OBSERVED. A POSTCRASH FIRE CONSUMED THE MAJORITY OF THE WRECKAGE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE WINGS AND ENGINE.
THE ENGINE WAS BURIED NOSE FIRST IN APPROXIMATELY 3 FT OF MUD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.