What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
This was the aircraft's first flight since being repaired and engine being replaced. The aircraft owner had very little time in this type of aircraft. He hired the accident pilot to conduct this flight.
On April 15, 2023, about 1039 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Velocity aircraft was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Andrews, north Carolina. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight.
At approximately 1035AM, the aircraft started its take-off roll became airborne. Once airborne, the aircraft started an immediate left crab and was observed by several witnesses left of the runway centerline. Shortly after becoming airborne, the aircraft appeard to make two left turns then dissapeard behind the tree line. The aircraft subsequently impacted sevral trees, ejected the pilot, and was consumed by a post impact fire.
T-EA68-FY23-1232
As the FAA filed it
THIS WAS THE AIRCRAFT'S FIRST FLIGHT SINCE BEING REPAIRED AND ENGINE BEING REPLACED. THE AIRCRAFT OWNER HAD VERY LITTLE TIME IN THIS TYPE OF AIRCRAFT. HE HIRED THE ACCIDENT PILOT TO CONDUCT THIS FLIGHT.
ON APRIL 15, 2023, ABOUT 1039 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL, AMATEUR-BUILT VELOCITY AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR ANDREWS, NORTH CAROLINA. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT.
AT APPROXIMATELY 1035AM, THE AIRCRAFT STARTED ITS TAKE-OFF ROLL BECAME AIRBORNE. ONCE AIRBORNE, THE AIRCRAFT STARTED AN IMMEDIATE LEFT CRAB AND WAS OBSERVED BY SEVERAL WITNESSES LEFT OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. SHORTLY AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE, THE AIRCRAFT APPEARD TO MAKE TWO LEFT TURNS THEN DISSAPEARD BEHIND THE TREE LINE. THE AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED SEVRAL TREES, EJECTED THE PILOT, AND WAS CONSUMED BY A POST IMPACT FIRE.
T-EA68-FY23-1232
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.