THE DTSB
Pending. Early unconfirmed reports indicate that the aircraft encountered an in flight engine abnormal, possibly a loss of thrust, while climbing through approximately 20,000 feet for a filed IFR cruise altitude of 28,000 feet. The accident aircraft crossed over the top of the emergency airport at around 10,000 feet, and entered a series of right descending turns in an apparent set up for runway 15. The series of right hand turns in a descent indicates a likely attempted dead stick landing to runway 15. The crash site is located 3700 feet short of the runway, and 160 feet to the southwest of the extended centerline of the runway. The accident PIC ejected when he realized that he was not going to make it to the runway, and was found standing beside the road and the wreckage when the first responders arrived. An orange parachute canopy was located very close to the wreckage site. It is still not clear if the private pilot rated passenger/student was able to eject but at an altitude too low to get a parachute fully deployed, or if he was found still in the aircraft wreckage. The initial phots of the crash site show a blue tarp over the wreckage, normally indicating that human remains are located underneath the covering. The accident PIC is the is the same pilot that pulled the EJECT handle during an airshow in Michigan on 8/14/2023 in a MIG aircraft without the knowledge or permission of the PIC on that flight.