What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Lead of a flight two aircraft, collaborative effort for u.s navy training. The two aircraft took off from n.a.s pt mugu and joined up at 15,000 feet then continued to san clemente island. The second aircaft witnessed the lead aircrat with what appeared to be an inadvertent partial deployment of the flaps. The second aircraft reported what they saw to the lead aircraft. Shortly after that over the radio a surprised utterance and then it appeared the flaps where being retracted. Seconds later the lead aircraft radioed he smelled something in the cabin. Then the second aircraft could see white/grey smoke or some type of gas coming from the left side aft cabin area of the lead aircraft. At this point the lead aircraft was not maintaining alltitude or heading. Then a one foot flame was witnessed coming out of the lead aircraft around the aft equipmentdoor. Over the radio the lead aircraft declared an emergency and stated they needed to land at san clemente island. Shortly after the radio call the drag chute was seen deployed on the lead aircraft. The lead aircraft then requested the second aircraft to take the lead position beacuse they needed help with navigation. Passing on the left side at 9,000 feet and decending a radio call to the stricken aircaft was "are you still with me'" the only responce was "barely". At or around 7,000 feet visul contact was lost with the stricken aircraft. The second aircraft now leed turned around to try and find the stricken aircraft. About a mile past the last known location small pieces of white, yellow and red debris was found in the water.
As the FAA filed it
LEAD OF A FLIGHT TWO AIRCRAFT, COLLABORATIVE EFFORT FOR U.S NAVY TRAINING. THE TWO AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM N.A.S PT MUGU AND JOINED UP AT 15,000 FEET THEN CONTINUED TO SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND.THE SECOND AIRCAFT WITNESSED THE LEAD AIRCRAT WITH WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN INADVERTENT PARTIAL DEPLOYMENT OF THE FLAPS.THE SECOND AIRCRAFT REPORTED WHAT THEY SAW TO THE LEAD AIRCRAFT. SHORTLY AFTER THAT OVER THE RADIO A SURPRISED UTTERANCE AND THEN IT APPEARED THE FLAPS WHERE BEING RETRACTED.SECONDS LATER THE LEAD AIRCRAFT RADIOED HE SMELLED SOMETHING IN THE CABIN. THEN THE SECOND AIRCRAFT COULD SEE WHITE/GREY SMOKE OR SOME TYPE OF GAS COMING FROM THE LEFT SIDE AFT CABIN AREA OF THE LEAD AIRCRAFT. AT THIS POINT THE LEAD AIRCRAFT WAS NOT MAINTAINING ALLTITUDE OR HEADING. THEN A ONE FOOT FLAME WAS WITNESSED COMING OUT OF THE LEAD AIRCRAFT AROUND THE AFT EQUIPMENTDOOR. OVER THE RADIO THE LEAD AIRCRAFT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND STATED THEY NEEDED TO LAND AT SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND.SHORTLY AFTER THE RADIO CALL THE DRAG CHUTE WAS SEEN DEPLOYED ON THE LEAD AIRCRAFT. THE LEAD AIRCRAFT THEN REQUESTED THE SECOND AIRCRAFT TO TAKE THE LEAD POSITION BEACUSE THEY NEEDED HELP WITH NAVIGATION. PASSING ON THE LEFT SIDE AT 9,000 FEET AND DECENDING A RADIO CALL TO THE STRICKEN AIRCAFT WAS "ARE YOU STILL WITH ME'" THE ONLY RESPONCE WAS "BARELY". AT OR AROUND 7,000 FEET VISUL CONTACT WAS LOST WITH THE STRICKEN AIRCRAFT. THE SECOND AIRCRAFT NOW LEED TURNED AROUND TO TRY AND FIND THE STRICKEN AIRCRAFT. ABOUT A MILE PAST THE LAST KNOWN LOCATION SMALL PIECES OF WHITE, YELLOW AND RED DEBRIS WAS FOUND IN THE WATER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.