Synopsis
A witness at an airport observed the final moments of an airplane accident after communicating with the pilot about coffee. The sequence began with a radio call and ended with the airplane descending in a roll and spin. Examination of the accident site revealed damage to trees and the aircraft's left wing.
Sequence of Events
According to the witness, the pilot called on the radio and asked, "Is the coffee on?" The witness replied that the coffee was on, to which the pilot responded, "Well then, I'll come in." Shortly thereafter, the witness heard a loud sound of an airplane engine followed by the sound of things breaking. The witness ran outside the hangar and saw the airplane moving away in a level, gradual climb. The airplane then began a left turn and roll. It reached the top of its climb and came straight down in a combination of a continual roll and a spin.
Examination Findings
Examination of the accident site revealed that the tops of three water birch trees, located 75 feet from the southeast edge of a ramp on the airport's northeast side, were sheared off through the trunks approximately 25 feet up from their bases. The outboard 4 feet of the airplane's left wing was found on the ramp, approximately 130 feet from the trees. Pieces of tree trunks, tree branches, and the airplane's left aileron fanned out from the trees in a southwesterly direction. No other anomalies were found.