What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot was reportedly performing pattern work when the aircraft entered a nearly vertical decent and impacted the terrain. The location of the impact is consistent with the left crosswind to left downwind for runway 19. With the exception of the left inboard leading-edge stol slat, the aircraft wreckage was found within 15 yards of the point of impact. The aircraft was destroyed, with the exception of the empennage, which appeared intact and relatively undamaged. On-scene investigators determined flight control continuity; however, the elevator control stop appeared to be broken off and missing. The elevator bell crank appeared to have traveled beyond its normal range and was jammed, allowing only a full nose-down position. It is currently unknown if this was a pre-accident condition. A dash camera located about .8 nautical miles east of the airport recorded an unknown object departing and falling away from the aircraft shortly before the aircraft nosed over. A few days after the accident, law enforcement located the leading-edge slat about 1/8 mile from the main wreckage.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT WAS REPORTEDLY PERFORMING PATTERN WORK WHEN THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A NEARLY VERTICAL DECENT AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN. THE LOCATION OF THE IMPACT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE LEFT CROSSWIND TO LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 19. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE LEFT INBOARD LEADING-EDGE STOL SLAT, THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS FOUND WITHIN 15 YARDS OF THE POINT OF IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE EMPENNAGE, WHICH APPEARED INTACT AND RELATIVELY UNDAMAGED. ON-SCENE INVESTIGATORS DETERMINED FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY; HOWEVER, THE ELEVATOR CONTROL STOP APPEARED TO BE BROKEN OFF AND MISSING. THE ELEVATOR BELL CRANK APPEARED TO HAVE TRAVELED BEYOND ITS NORMAL RANGE AND WAS JAMMED, ALLOWING ONLY A FULL NOSE-DOWN POSITION. IT IS CURRENTLY UNKNOWN IF THIS WAS A PRE-ACCIDENT CONDITION. A DASH CAMERA LOCATED ABOUT .8 NAUTICAL MILES EAST OF THE AIRPORT RECORDED AN UNKNOWN OBJECT DEPARTING AND FALLING AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT SHORTLY BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER. A FEW DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT, LAW ENFORCEMENT LOCATED THE LEADING-EDGE SLAT ABOUT 1/8 MILE FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.