What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 05, 2023 at approximately 1205 MDT an aircraft crashed roughly one mile north of meadow lake airport (fly), Colorado resulting in fatal injuries to the pilot and substantially damaging the aircraft. There were no passengers onboard and no persons, vehicles or structures were impacted on the ground. The aircraft was being operated as a part 91 personal flight and performed multiple overhead patterns with another aircraft for a gathering of people at fly. Witnesses stated that the pilot later appeared to attempt a climbing barrel roll maneuver at approximately 500-700 ft AGL and apparently entered a stall/spin about halfway thru and failed to recover before impacting the ground. Post accident investigation revealed that the engine was providing power to the propeller at the time of impact (twisted propeller blade and hub assembly). All major aircraft components were located at the scene and the aircraft had fuel remaining onboard. There was no evidence of pre or post impact fire. No mechanical anomalies were evident that may have contributed to the accident and flight control continuity was confirmed. The aircraft cockpit, fuselage and tail section came to rest approximately 160 ft east of the initial impact and on the opposite side of a pond. Both wings came to rest near a large tree impacted by the aircraft on the west side of the pond. The engine and propeller assembly were found in the western half of the pond.
The ADS-B out transmitted during a previous flight that day however, it was not transmitting during this entire flight. Due to the extent of the damage, it was not possible to determine if the ADS-B system was intentionally deactivated or had malfunctioned. Autopsy and toxicology results are still pending at the time of this report.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 05, 2023 AT APPROXIMATELY 1205 MDT AN AIRCRAFT CRASHED ROUGHLY ONE MILE NORTH OF MEADOW LAKE AIRPORT (FLY), COLORADO RESULTING IN FATAL INJURIES TO THE PILOT AND SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGING THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WERE NO PASSENGERS ONBOARD AND NO PERSONS, VEHICLES OR STRUCTURES WERE IMPACTED ON THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED AS A PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT AND PERFORMED MULTIPLE OVERHEAD PATTERNS WITH ANOTHER AIRCRAFT FOR A GATHERING OF PEOPLE AT FLY. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE PILOT LATER APPEARED TO ATTEMPT A CLIMBING BARREL ROLL MANEUVER AT APPROXIMATELY 500-700 FT AGL AND APPARENTLY ENTERED A STALL/SPIN ABOUT HALFWAY THRU AND FAILED TO RECOVER BEFORE IMPACTING THE GROUND. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE WAS PROVIDING POWER TO THE PROPELLER AT THE TIME OF IMPACT (TWISTED PROPELLER BLADE AND HUB ASSEMBLY). ALL MAJOR AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS WERE LOCATED AT THE SCENE AND THE AIRCRAFT HAD FUEL REMAINING ONBOARD. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF PRE OR POST IMPACT FIRE. NO MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WERE EVIDENT THAT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT AND FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED. THE AIRCRAFT COCKPIT, FUSELAGE AND TAIL SECTION CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 160 FT EAST OF THE INITIAL IMPACT AND ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF A POND. BOTH WINGS CAME TO REST NEAR A LARGE TREE IMPACTED BY THE AIRCRAFT ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE POND. THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER ASSEMBLY WERE FOUND IN THE WESTERN HALF OF THE POND.
THE ADS-B OUT TRANSMITTED DURING A PREVIOUS FLIGHT THAT DAY HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT TRANSMITTING DURING THIS ENTIRE FLIGHT. DUE TO THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE, IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO DETERMINE IF THE ADS-B SYSTEM WAS INTENTIONALLY DEACTIVATED OR HAD MALFUNCTIONED. AUTOPSY AND TOXICOLOGY RESULTS ARE STILL PENDING AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.