What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot reported in a telephone statement that he was cleared to land and on final approach for Chico on 10/7/2024. The pilot decided to deviate from the approach and obtained ATC clearance to overfly his wooded property at 1100 AGL. The pilot circled the wooded area at this low altitude. After multiple rotations, the pilot lost sight of the valley and his escape from the towering redwoods. The pilot stated he must have increased pitch to slow the aircraft down to gain a better view of the property and at one point his airspeed was 0 and he was losing altitude. He recovered by lowering the pitch and increasing the throttle but still had the RPM reduced with the prop. He pitched up to try to clear the trees but hit the trees and rolled the aircraft to the right. The aircraft came to rest approximately 4NM se of Chico airport in the middle of the redwoods on the right side. Substantial aircraft damage caused by the impact of the tree. Aircraft and engine were both operating as expected at the time of the accident.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT REPORTED IN A TELEPHONE STATEMENT THAT HE WAS CLEARED TO LAND AND ON FINAL APPROACH FOR CHICO ON 10/7/2024. THE PILOT DECIDED TO DEVIATE FROM THE APPROACH AND OBTAINED ATC CLEARANCE TO OVERFLY HIS WOODED PROPERTY AT 1100 AGL. THE PILOT CIRCLED THE WOODED AREA AT THIS LOW ALTITUDE. AFTER MULTIPLE ROTATIONS, THE PILOT LOST SIGHT OF THE VALLEY AND HIS ESCAPE FROM THE TOWERING REDWOODS. THE PILOT STATED HE MUST HAVE INCREASED PITCH TO SLOW THE AIRCRAFT DOWN TO GAIN A BETTER VIEW OF THE PROPERTY AND AT ONE POINT HIS AIRSPEED WAS 0 AND HE WAS LOSING ALTITUDE. HE RECOVERED BY LOWERING THE PITCH AND INCREASING THE THROTTLE BUT STILL HAD THE RPM REDUCED WITH THE PROP. HE PITCHED UP TO TRY TO CLEAR THE TREES BUT HIT THE TREES AND ROLLED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 4NM SE OF CHICO AIRPORT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE REDWOODS ON THE RIGHT SIDE. SUBSTANTIAL AIRCRAFT DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE IMPACT OF THE TREE. AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE WERE BOTH OPERATING AS EXPECTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.