What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot departed a fuel stop after taking on 222 gallons of jet a at 1112 CDT on March 29, 2025 for his home station airport with no passengers. ATC directed the pilot around moderate to heavy precipitation along the flight. At 1213, ATC cleared the aircraft for RNAV approach and the pilot acknowledged. ADS-B data from the FAA revealed the aircraft leveled off in clouds on approach at approximately 3,000 feet MSL. Light icing conditions were present, according to the flightaware briefing summary that the pilot received. The METAR at that time and location read 291649Z 03012KT 10SM ovc 009 03/02 A2992. The ADS-B data showed the aircraft decelerated gradually as it maintained altitude. ATC noted a low altitude alert at 1222, believing the aircraft crashed three miles west of the airfield. The on-site investigation found that after a rapid decrease in altitude, the aircraft struck trees, severing portions of the left wing and horizontal stabilizer and collided with a residential home, causing a fire that destroyed both the aircraft and home. The pilot was found deceased at approximately 1900 on March 30, after debris from the destroyed building had been removed to locate the aircraft. An off-site aircraft wreckage layout inspection was conducted by the NTSB and FAA, along with an inspector from the aircraft manufacturer on April 1. The wreckage inspection confirmed that the aircraft engine was running at the time of the accident by the depth of the tree debris into the engine intake.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT DEPARTED A FUEL STOP AFTER TAKING ON 222 GALLONS OF JET A AT 1112 CDT ON MARCH 29, 2025 FOR HIS HOME STATION AIRPORT WITH NO PASSENGERS. ATC DIRECTED THE PILOT AROUND MODERATE TO HEAVY PRECIPITATION ALONG THE FLIGHT. AT 1213, ATC CLEARED THE AIRCRAFT FOR RNAV APPROACH AND THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED. ADS-B DATA FROM THE FAA REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT LEVELED OFF IN CLOUDS ON APPROACH AT APPROXIMATELY 3,000 FEET MSL. LIGHT ICING CONDITIONS WERE PRESENT, ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHTAWARE BRIEFING SUMMARY THAT THE PILOT RECEIVED. THE METAR AT THAT TIME AND LOCATION READ 291649Z 03012KT 10SM OVC 009 03/02 A2992. THE ADS-B DATA SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT DECELERATED GRADUALLY AS IT MAINTAINED ALTITUDE. ATC NOTED A LOW ALTITUDE ALERT AT 1222, BELIEVING THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED THREE MILES WEST OF THE AIRFIELD. THE ON-SITE INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT AFTER A RAPID DECREASE IN ALTITUDE, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK TREES, SEVERING PORTIONS OF THE LEFT WING AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND COLLIDED WITH A RESIDENTIAL HOME, CAUSING A FIRE THAT DESTROYED BOTH THE AIRCRAFT AND HOME. THE PILOT WAS FOUND DECEASED AT APPROXIMATELY 1900 ON MARCH 30, AFTER DEBRIS FROM THE DESTROYED BUILDING HAD BEEN REMOVED TO LOCATE THE AIRCRAFT. AN OFF-SITE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE LAYOUT INSPECTION WAS CONDUCTED BY THE NTSB AND FAA, ALONG WITH AN INSPECTOR FROM THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER ON APRIL 1. THE WRECKAGE INSPECTION CONFIRMED THAT THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE WAS RUNNING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT BY THE DEPTH OF THE TREE DEBRIS INTO THE ENGINE INTAKE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.