What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft was exhibiting signs of a normal approach to Williston, FL (X60) on a southerly heading. At 16:09:34 local time while at a barometric altitude of 1300 feet, adsb data shows an increase in vertical speed from -640 feet per minute (fpm) to -1280 fpm with a corresponding increase in airspeed from 167 knots (KTS). The vertical and airspeeds continued to increase over the next 17 seconds when adsb data was lost at 16:09:51AT an altitude of 300 feet, vertical speed of -3712 fpm and an airspeed of 197 KTS.
The aircraft impacted the ground in a freshly plowed soft sandy peanut field. The aircraft struck the ground in a 90 degree right bank and nose down attitude. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. A post-crash fire occurred. All occupants onboard the aircraft received fatal injuries. All occupants were ejected from the aircraft and did not exhibit signs fire.
Witness marks at the scene indicated the aircraft struck the ground right wing down and cartwheeled. The aft cabin and tail assembly came to rest approximately 450 feet from the point of impact. The aft cabin was engulfed in the fire and there were signs of small fires along the debris field.
A witness from an additional aircraft inbound to X60 had the aircraft in sight. Both aircraft were communicating on the local radio frequency, and the witness states the last transmission from the accident aircraft was “did he want to race”. The witness then watched the aircraft continue, bank and dive to the ground.
Inspection of the dual tachometer faceplate found at the scene indicated both engines were under power. Subsequent inspection after aircraft recovery by the NTSB, aircraft and engine manufacturers could find no anomalies that would indicate failures of any aircraft systems contributing to the accident.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT WAS EXHIBITING SIGNS OF A NORMAL APPROACH TO WILLISTON, FL (X60) ON A SOUTHERLY HEADING. AT 16:09:34 LOCAL TIME WHILE AT A BAROMETRIC ALTITUDE OF 1300 FEET, ADSB DATA SHOWS AN INCREASE IN VERTICAL SPEED FROM -640 FEET PER MINUTE (FPM) TO -1280 FPM WITH A CORRESPONDING INCREASE IN AIRSPEED FROM 167 KNOTS (KTS). THE VERTICAL AND AIRSPEEDS CONTINUED TO INCREASE OVER THE NEXT 17 SECONDS WHEN ADSB DATA WAS LOST AT 16:09:51AT AN ALTITUDE OF 300 FEET, VERTICAL SPEED OF -3712 FPM AND AN AIRSPEED OF 197 KTS.
THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A FRESHLY PLOWED SOFT SANDY PEANUT FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND IN A 90 DEGREE RIGHT BANK AND NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. A POST-CRASH FIRE OCCURRED. ALL OCCUPANTS ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. ALL OCCUPANTS WERE EJECTED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND DID NOT EXHIBIT SIGNS FIRE.
WITNESS MARKS AT THE SCENE INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND RIGHT WING DOWN AND CARTWHEELED. THE AFT CABIN AND TAIL ASSEMBLY CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 450 FEET FROM THE POINT OF IMPACT. THE AFT CABIN WAS ENGULFED IN THE FIRE AND THERE WERE SIGNS OF SMALL FIRES ALONG THE DEBRIS FIELD.
A WITNESS FROM AN ADDITIONAL AIRCRAFT INBOUND TO X60 HAD THE AIRCRAFT IN SIGHT. BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE COMMUNICATING ON THE LOCAL RADIO FREQUENCY, AND THE WITNESS STATES THE LAST TRANSMISSION FROM THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS “DID HE WANT TO RACE”. THE WITNESS THEN WATCHED THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUE, BANK AND DIVE TO THE GROUND.
INSPECTION OF THE DUAL TACHOMETER FACEPLATE FOUND AT THE SCENE INDICATED BOTH ENGINES WERE UNDER POWER. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION AFTER AIRCRAFT RECOVERY BY THE NTSB, AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE MANUFACTURERS COULD FIND NO ANOMALIES THAT WOULD INDICATE FAILURES OF ANY AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS CONTRIBUTING TO 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.