What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Two witnesses independently observed the crash, and their observations were materially the same. They stated that first the pilot performed a simple “fly-by” near the first witness' house, approximately straight-and-level. Then the plane returned, and this time banked at a sharp angle, estimated to be knife-edged or nearly so, to make a tight bank in a counterclockwise circle around the house, at an altitude estimated to between two and three tree heights above the ground, approximately 200-300 feet AGL. Near the end of the observation, the top (right) wing rolled inverted, the plane rapidly rolled/pitched into a near-vertical dive, crashed through trees along the driveway, and smashed nose-first onto the witness' property. The second witness was the privacy data omitted where the plane spent the night, and has "thousands of hours" in the same make of airplane. Neither witness recalled hearing any change in the engine pitch or noise. Investigation of the wreckage did not reveal any defects. The medical examiner found no known medical conditions that could pose hazards to flight safety.
As the FAA filed it
TWO WITNESSES INDEPENDENTLY OBSERVED THE CRASH, AND THEIR OBSERVATIONS WERE MATERIALLY THE SAME. THEY STATED THAT FIRST THE PILOT PERFORMED A SIMPLE “FLY-BY” NEAR THE FIRST WITNESS' HOUSE, APPROXIMATELY STRAIGHT-AND-LEVEL. THEN THE PLANE RETURNED, AND THIS TIME BANKED AT A SHARP ANGLE, ESTIMATED TO BE KNIFE-EDGED OR NEARLY SO, TO MAKE A TIGHT BANK IN A COUNTERCLOCKWISE CIRCLE AROUND THE HOUSE, AT AN ALTITUDE ESTIMATED TO BETWEEN TWO AND THREE TREE HEIGHTS ABOVE THE GROUND, APPROXIMATELY 200-300 FEET AGL. NEAR THE END OF THE OBSERVATION, THE TOP (RIGHT) WING ROLLED INVERTED, THE PLANE RAPIDLY ROLLED/PITCHED INTO A NEAR-VERTICAL DIVE, CRASHED THROUGH TREES ALONG THE DRIVEWAY, AND SMASHED NOSE-FIRST ONTO THE WITNESS' PROPERTY. THE SECOND WITNESS WAS THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WHERE THE PLANE SPENT THE NIGHT, AND HAS "THOUSANDS OF HOURS" IN THE SAME MAKE OF AIRPLANE. NEITHER WITNESS RECALLED HEARING ANY CHANGE IN THE ENGINE PITCH OR NOISE. INVESTIGATION OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT REVEAL ANY DEFECTS. THE MEDICAL EXAMINER FOUND NO KNOWN MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT COULD POSE HAZARDS TO FLIGHT SAFETY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.