What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 30, 2024, at 1420 local time, a Ridenour Wendell Ray CH-601 hds experimental armature built aircraft, privacy data omitted registered to and operated by a private pilot was destroyed following a loss of control and subsequent impact during a local flight that had departed the branch county memorial airport (oeb), coldwater, Michigan in route to the elkhart municipal airport (ekm), elkhart, Indiana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 without a flight plan. Both the pilot and ATP rated passenger received fatal injuries.
A witness stated she was outside cleaning her car approximately 300 yards from the accident site, when she viewed the aircraft in an almost vertical nose down attitude then lost sight in the trees prior to hearing the impact. Witness also stated the engine sounded normal and no smoke was seen from the aircraft.
Investigation shows the aircraft came to rest in an inverted position on a magnetic heading of 250 degrees in a forested area. Several branches were broken in the treetops almost directly above the impact site. The aircraft was fragmented with extensive aft crush damage to the leading edge of all flying surfaces. The aft section of the fuselage was curled over and laying on top of the wreckage near the landing gear (this section was removed by first responders to aid in extracting of the pilot and passenger). The engine remained attached to the firewall by control cables. The propellor was highly fragmented with fractures near the hub, indicative of power at the time of impact. The entire aircraft was located within the impact area. Control continuity was established in all flight and engine controls. The ELT was located but had been destroyed by impact forces. Both sets of seatbelt/shoulder harnesses were fastened and in use. There was a strong odor of gasoline at the site. There was no post impact fire. Adsb data shows a fairly direct line from (oeb) to the point the data link was lost over the accident site 8 miles east-north-east of (ekm). Weather was reported as: kekm 301815Z 28009KT 250V310 10 sm clr 19/09 A2996.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 30, 2024, AT 1420 LOCAL TIME, A RIDENOUR WENDELL RAY CH-601 HDS EXPERIMENTAL ARMATURE BUILT AIRCRAFT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL AND SUBSEQUENT IMPACT DURING A LOCAL FLIGHT THAT HAD DEPARTED THE BRANCH COUNTY MEMORIAL AIRPORT (OEB), COLDWATER, MICHIGAN IN ROUTE TO THE ELKHART MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (EKM), ELKHART, INDIANA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. BOTH THE PILOT AND ATP RATED PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES.
A WITNESS STATED SHE WAS OUTSIDE CLEANING HER CAR APPROXIMATELY 300 YARDS FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE, WHEN SHE VIEWED THE AIRCRAFT IN AN ALMOST VERTICAL NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE THEN LOST SIGHT IN THE TREES PRIOR TO HEARING THE IMPACT. WITNESS ALSO STATED THE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL AND NO SMOKE WAS SEEN FROM THE AIRCRAFT.
INVESTIGATION SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN AN INVERTED POSITION ON A MAGNETIC HEADING OF 250 DEGREES IN A FORESTED AREA. SEVERAL BRANCHES WERE BROKEN IN THE TREETOPS ALMOST DIRECTLY ABOVE THE IMPACT SITE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FRAGMENTED WITH EXTENSIVE AFT CRUSH DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE OF ALL FLYING SURFACES. THE AFT SECTION OF THE FUSELAGE WAS CURLED OVER AND LAYING ON TOP OF THE WRECKAGE NEAR THE LANDING GEAR (THIS SECTION WAS REMOVED BY FIRST RESPONDERS TO AID IN EXTRACTING OF THE PILOT AND PASSENGER). THE ENGINE REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE FIREWALL BY CONTROL CABLES. THE PROPELLOR WAS HIGHLY FRAGMENTED WITH FRACTURES NEAR THE HUB, INDICATIVE OF POWER AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THE ENTIRE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED WITHIN THE IMPACT AREA. CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED IN ALL FLIGHT AND ENGINE CONTROLS. THE ELT WAS LOCATED BUT HAD BEEN DESTROYED BY IMPACT FORCES. BOTH SETS OF SEATBELT/SHOULDER HARNESSES WERE FASTENED AND IN USE. THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE AT THE SITE. THERE WAS NO POST IMPACT FIRE. ADSB DATA SHOWS A FAIRLY DIRECT LINE FROM (OEB) TO THE POINT THE DATA LINK WAS LOST OVER THE ACCIDENT SITE 8 MILES EAST-NORTH-EAST OF (EKM). WEATHER WAS REPORTED AS: KEKM 301815Z 28009KT 250V310 10 SM CLR 19/09 A2996.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.