What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 12 August, 2025 at 15:07 local time, an RV-7A airplane hit a tree and crashed resulting in the death of the pilot who was the sole occupant during a go-around on rwy 15 at ryan field (2MT1).
Witnesses stated that the pilot had received the required briefing for the field, and had reviewed all of the information associated with the airfield and completed a verbal brief with a friend who was familiar with the field.
The accident aircraft followed another aircraft to the field so he (the accident pilot) could observe the approach and landing before attempting an approach himself. After the successful landing of the first aircraft, the pilot made a landing attempt that ended in several bounces and a go-around. The pilot radioed witnesses on the ground and stated that the oil temps were high, and he intended to do a longer/larger pattern to cool the engine before attempting to land again.
On the second landing attempt, witnesses stated that the aircraft bounced and a go-around was initiated after the first bounce, but did not seem unsettled and there was no indication of a potential loss of power, control or damage to the aircraft from a hard landing.
Approximately 400' after the point of touchdown, the aircraft struck a tree that is 70' to the right (west) of the runway centerline. The right wing, just outside of the fuel tank hit the tree, 30-35' above runway elevation and approximately 25' below the tree top. Witnesses stated that the aircraft rolled left after hitting the tree and hit the ground approximately 200' past the tree paralell to the runway (still 70-80' right of centerline) inverted, and nearly vertical (approximately 75-80 degrees nose down).
The aircraft remained largely intact with only a few small fairings and pieces of aluminum skin in the vicinity of the tree that was hit. There was no post crash fire. Due to the compromised occupiable space of the cockpit, witnesses and first responders were unable to extract the pilot of the aircraft.
Sas ar: NM05202502338
As the FAA filed it
ON 12 AUGUST, 2025 AT 15:07 LOCAL TIME, AN RV-7A AIRPLANE HIT A TREE AND CRASHED RESULTING IN THE DEATH OF THE PILOT WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT DURING A GO-AROUND ON RWY 15 AT RYAN FIELD (2MT1).
WITNESSES STATED THAT THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED THE REQUIRED BRIEFING FOR THE FIELD, AND HAD REVIEWED ALL OF THE INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE AIRFIELD AND COMPLETED A VERBAL BRIEF WITH A FRIEND WHO WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE FIELD.
THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT FOLLOWED ANOTHER AIRCRAFT TO THE FIELD SO HE (THE ACCIDENT PILOT) COULD OBSERVE THE APPROACH AND LANDING BEFORE ATTEMPTING AN APPROACH HIMSELF. AFTER THE SUCCESSFUL LANDING OF THE FIRST AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT MADE A LANDING ATTEMPT THAT ENDED IN SEVERAL BOUNCES AND A GO-AROUND. THE PILOT RADIOED WITNESSES ON THE GROUND AND STATED THAT THE OIL TEMPS WERE HIGH, AND HE INTENDED TO DO A LONGER/LARGER PATTERN TO COOL THE ENGINE BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO LAND AGAIN.
ON THE SECOND LANDING ATTEMPT, WITNESSES STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED AND A GO-AROUND WAS INITIATED AFTER THE FIRST BOUNCE, BUT DID NOT SEEM UNSETTLED AND THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF A POTENTIAL LOSS OF POWER, CONTROL OR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT FROM A HARD LANDING.
APPROXIMATELY 400' AFTER THE POINT OF TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A TREE THAT IS 70' TO THE RIGHT (WEST) OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. THE RIGHT WING, JUST OUTSIDE OF THE FUEL TANK HIT THE TREE, 30-35' ABOVE RUNWAY ELEVATION AND APPROXIMATELY 25' BELOW THE TREE TOP. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED LEFT AFTER HITTING THE TREE AND HIT THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 200' PAST THE TREE PARALELL TO THE RUNWAY (STILL 70-80' RIGHT OF CENTERLINE) INVERTED, AND NEARLY VERTICAL (APPROXIMATELY 75-80 DEGREES NOSE DOWN).
THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED LARGELY INTACT WITH ONLY A FEW SMALL FAIRINGS AND PIECES OF ALUMINUM SKIN IN THE VICINITY OF THE TREE THAT WAS HIT. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE. DUE TO THE COMPROMISED OCCUPIABLE SPACE OF THE COCKPIT, WITNESSES AND FIRST RESPONDERS WERE UNABLE TO EXTRACT THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT.
SAS AR: NM05202502338
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.