What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
According to preliminary pilot statements and video accounts, the flight departed the airfield to the south for a local sunrise observation. The aircraft executed a right turn to the west, tracked back across the airfield heading east, and climbed to approximately 2,000 to 3,000 feet. After viewing the sunrise, the pilot initiated a turn back to the west and started a descent. The pilot reports a complete lapse of memory (retrograde amnesia) from this point of descent onward. Pilot suffered head trama during the accident and a broken ankle. Neighbor security camera footage (audio unavailable) captured the aircraft descending in a clean glide profile before it impacted a residential structure located on the east side of Covey Trails airfield. Post-accident examination confirmed flight control continuity from the cockpit controls to all respective flight control surfaces. Powerplant / propeller: the two-blade wood propeller and metal spinner exhibited little to no rotation marks and lacked torsional damage features typically consistent with an engine producing power at the time of impact. Impact site: the aircraft struck the roof/structure of a residence situated on the eastern perimeter of the airpark residential community. Preliminary assessment physical evidence—specifically the lack of propeller torsional damage combined with video confirmation of a clean glide path—strongly indicates an unpowered flight profile (engine starvation, failure, or stoppage) during the final maneuver back toward the airport environment. Investigation is ongoing to determine the exact cause of power loss and subsequent loss of control.
As the FAA filed it
ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY PILOT STATEMENTS AND VIDEO ACCOUNTS, THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE AIRFIELD TO THE SOUTH FOR A LOCAL SUNRISE OBSERVATION. THE AIRCRAFT EXECUTED A RIGHT TURN TO THE WEST, TRACKED BACK ACROSS THE AIRFIELD HEADING EAST, AND CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 2,000 TO 3,000 FEET. AFTER VIEWING THE SUNRISE, THE PILOT INITIATED A TURN BACK TO THE WEST AND STARTED A DESCENT. THE PILOT REPORTS A COMPLETE LAPSE OF MEMORY (RETROGRADE AMNESIA) FROM THIS POINT OF DESCENT ONWARD. PILOT SUFFERED HEAD TRAMA DURING THE ACCIDENT AND A BROKEN ANKLE. NEIGHBOR SECURITY CAMERA FOOTAGE (AUDIO UNAVAILABLE) CAPTURED THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDING IN A CLEAN GLIDE PROFILE BEFORE IT IMPACTED A RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE LOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE OF COVEY TRAILS AIRFIELD. POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION CONFIRMED FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY FROM THE COCKPIT CONTROLS TO ALL RESPECTIVE FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES. POWERPLANT / PROPELLER: THE TWO-BLADE WOOD PROPELLER AND METAL SPINNER EXHIBITED LITTLE TO NO ROTATION MARKS AND LACKED TORSIONAL DAMAGE FEATURES TYPICALLY CONSISTENT WITH AN ENGINE PRODUCING POWER AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. IMPACT SITE: THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE ROOF/STRUCTURE OF A RESIDENCE SITUATED ON THE EASTERN PERIMETER OF THE AIRPARK RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY. PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT PHYSICAL EVIDENCE—SPECIFICALLY THE LACK OF PROPELLER TORSIONAL DAMAGE COMBINED WITH VIDEO CONFIRMATION OF A CLEAN GLIDE PATH—STRONGLY INDICATES AN UNPOWERED FLIGHT PROFILE (ENGINE STARVATION, FAILURE, OR STOPPAGE) DURING THE FINAL MANEUVER BACK TOWARD THE AIRPORT ENVIRONMENT. INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING TO DETERMINE THE EXACT CAUSE OF POWER LOSS AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF CONTROL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.