The NTSB’s report into the incident was released on March 28.

The crash occurred on the evening of July 14, 2022.

The Times Observer reported in the wake of the incident that one person was flown to the hospital and another treated at the scene for injuries sustained in the crash. After striking a tree, the ultra light plane crashed into a creek bed, near Big Four Road and the Conewango Creek. The aircraft landed on its side and had to be turned upright to extricate the pilot.

According to the NTSB report, a “postaccident examination” revealed “no pre impact mechanical malfunctions that would precluded normal operation” of the Flight Star II Sport Cabin aircraft.

“Engine sounds recorded on a wing-mounted video camera revealed the engine was operating normally during the entire flight,” the report concluded. “The debris path and impact signatures were consistent with an aerodynamic stall.”

Investigators state that the pilot “turned toward the trees after takeoff and made a decision to fly over them.”

That leads to the NTSB’s “probable cause” for the accident: “The pilot failed to maintain adequate airspeed and exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack while attempting to climb over trees, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of airplane control.”

The report states that the pilot was “non-certificated” and that this aircraft type is an “experimental special light sport category airplane that required Federal Aviation Administration-mandated training and the issuance of a sport pilot certificate.”

The report details the timeline of events that resulted in the crash.

The plane lifted off from the Shields Farm Airport, about halfway down a 1,650 foot grass runway at about 7:40 p.m.

“Shortly after lifting off the airplane made a turn to the left towards the trees to the north-northwest of the runway, reaching a maximum altitude of about 15 ft. above ground level. The airplane passed through the trees then disappeared,” the report states.

“The pilot, who was also the owner of the airplane, was seriously injured and unable to recall the events of the accident or provide a written report.”

Investigators examined the airframe and found that the left wing was “separated,” that there was “substantial damage” to the fuselage and that “two of the three propeller blades were severed near the hub.”

The video from that wing-mounted video camera was forwarded to the NTSB’s Vehicle Recorders Laboratory in Washington, DC.

“A performance study was conducted using the data recovered from the video, which was mounted on the left wing and pointed down the wing into the cockpit,” the report states. “The video images recorded the GPS time, latitude, longitude, and altitude of the airplane which were recorded once a second.”