What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Part 91 operation 2000 Commander aircraft 114TC, privacy data omitted, serial number 20030, with loss of engine power crashed 2200 feet north end of naked lady ranch airport (X64AF) runway 180°. Aircraft crashed attempting to land in a field catching on fire resulting fatality of one pilot. Aircraft sustained major structural damaged destroyed due to wing fuel tanks ruptured resulting in fire. Aircraft privacy data omitted privacy data omitted
According to an eyewitness at the accident scene, the airplane was observed flying at a low altitude over the trees. The witness noted that the engine sounded normal as they watched. However, as the airplane approached closer, the engine emitted a strange noise and abruptly stopped. Subsequently, the airplane entered what the witness described as a stall and crashed into the ground before sliding into a small ditch. The impact resulted in the aircraft catching fire, with the cockpit being engulfed in flames. Despite the efforts of bystanders, the pilot could not be extricated from the aircraft. Emergency services arrived shortly thereafter and extinguished the fire.
The wreckage of the airplane was located approximately 2,300 feet north of the departure end of runway 36 at naked lady ranch airport. All flight control surfaces were found at the crash site. The cockpit and fuselage sustained significant damage due to the fire, while the flight control cables remained exposed but intact, connected to their respective flight control surfaces and bellcranks. Flight control continuity was maintained throughout the flight control system. The left and right wings were damaged as a result of the fire and impact, while the vertical and horizontal stabilizers remained intact. The rudder and elevators exhibited signs of soot from the ground fire. No distress transmissions were reported from the pilot during the final moments of the flight.
During the investigation, the fuel selector was found in the right tank position and was tested using forced air. All fuel selector positions were checked, and the detent on the selector operated properly.
The engine remained attached to the engine mounts but displayed evidence of fire damage. It was equipped with a three-bladed propeller, with the blades labeled a, b, and c. blade a appeared undamaged, while blade b exhibited chord wise scoring and a bent tip. Blade c was bent aft beneath the belly of the airplane.
Examination of the engine revealed continuous valve train continuity throughout the engine, including the accessory components. Compression was observed in all cylinders. An indeterminate amount of oil leakage was noted from the engine. The oil was found to be clean, and no debris was observed in the oil. The spark plugs appeared normal and did not exhibit any signs of malfunction. The magnetos were removed and rotated, revealing spark arcing on all terminals. The propeller governor oil screen was found to be free of debris. Both vacuum pumps were removed and displayed damage from impact and heat.
The fuel pump was removed and tested, demonstrating continuous fuel pumping as the input shaft was rotated. The fuel divider was removed and examined, revealing no heat damage when the diaphragm was inspected. The fuel injectors were inspected and showed no signs of clogging. A trace amount of fuel was found within the fuel divider.
As the FAA filed it
PART 91 OPERATION 2000 COMMANDER AIRCRAFT 114TC, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, SERIAL NUMBER 20030, WITH LOSS OF ENGINE POWER CRASHED 2200 FEET NORTH END OF NAKED LADY RANCH AIRPORT (X64AF) RUNWAY 180°. AIRCRAFT CRASHED ATTEMPTING TO LAND IN A FIELD CATCHING ON FIRE RESULTING FATALITY OF ONE PILOT. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGED DESTROYED DUE TO WING FUEL TANKS RUPTURED RESULTING IN FIRE. AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
ACCORDING TO AN EYEWITNESS AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE, THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED FLYING AT A LOW ALTITUDE OVER THE TREES. THE WITNESS NOTED THAT THE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL AS THEY WATCHED. HOWEVER, AS THE AIRPLANE APPROACHED CLOSER, THE ENGINE EMITTED A STRANGE NOISE AND ABRUPTLY STOPPED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED WHAT THE WITNESS DESCRIBED AS A STALL AND CRASHED INTO THE GROUND BEFORE SLIDING INTO A SMALL DITCH. THE IMPACT RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT CATCHING FIRE, WITH THE COCKPIT BEING ENGULFED IN FLAMES. DESPITE THE EFFORTS OF BYSTANDERS, THE PILOT COULD NOT BE EXTRICATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. EMERGENCY SERVICES ARRIVED SHORTLY THEREAFTER AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE.
THE WRECKAGE OF THE AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 2,300 FEET NORTH OF THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 36 AT NAKED LADY RANCH AIRPORT. ALL FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES WERE FOUND AT THE CRASH SITE. THE COCKPIT AND FUSELAGE SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE DUE TO THE FIRE, WHILE THE FLIGHT CONTROL CABLES REMAINED EXPOSED BUT INTACT, CONNECTED TO THEIR RESPECTIVE FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES AND BELLCRANKS. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT THE FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM. THE LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS WERE DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF THE FIRE AND IMPACT, WHILE THE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS REMAINED INTACT. THE RUDDER AND ELEVATORS EXHIBITED SIGNS OF SOOT FROM THE GROUND FIRE. NO DISTRESS TRANSMISSIONS WERE REPORTED FROM THE PILOT DURING THE FINAL MOMENTS OF THE FLIGHT.
DURING THE INVESTIGATION, THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND IN THE RIGHT TANK POSITION AND WAS TESTED USING FORCED AIR. ALL FUEL SELECTOR POSITIONS WERE CHECKED, AND THE DETENT ON THE SELECTOR OPERATED PROPERLY.
THE ENGINE REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE ENGINE MOUNTS BUT DISPLAYED EVIDENCE OF FIRE DAMAGE. IT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A THREE-BLADED PROPELLER, WITH THE BLADES LABELED A, B, AND C. BLADE A APPEARED UNDAMAGED, WHILE BLADE B EXHIBITED CHORD WISE SCORING AND A BENT TIP. BLADE C WAS BENT AFT BENEATH THE BELLY OF THE AIRPLANE.
EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED CONTINUOUS VALVE TRAIN CONTINUITY THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE, INCLUDING THE ACCESSORY COMPONENTS. COMPRESSION WAS OBSERVED IN ALL CYLINDERS. AN INDETERMINATE AMOUNT OF OIL LEAKAGE WAS NOTED FROM THE ENGINE. THE OIL WAS FOUND TO BE CLEAN, AND NO DEBRIS WAS OBSERVED IN THE OIL. THE SPARK PLUGS APPEARED NORMAL AND DID NOT EXHIBIT ANY SIGNS OF MALFUNCTION. THE MAGNETOS WERE REMOVED AND ROTATED, REVEALING SPARK ARCING ON ALL TERMINALS. THE PROPELLER GOVERNOR OIL SCREEN WAS FOUND TO BE FREE OF DEBRIS. BOTH VACUUM PUMPS WERE REMOVED AND DISPLAYED DAMAGE FROM IMPACT AND HEAT.
THE FUEL PUMP WAS REMOVED AND TESTED, DEMONSTRATING CONTINUOUS FUEL PUMPING AS THE INPUT SHAFT WAS ROTATED. THE FUEL DIVIDER WAS REMOVED AND EXAMINED, REVEALING NO HEAT DAMAGE WHEN THE DIAPHRAGM WAS INSPECTED. THE FUEL INJECTORS WERE INSPECTED AND SHOWED NO SIGNS OF CLOGGING. A TRACE AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS FOUND WITHIN THE FUEL DIVIDER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.