A preliminary report for an Agua Dulce plane crash that killed four people has been released by investigators, citing the airplane went “vertical” moments before impact.

On Feb. 11, an experimental, amateur-built Cirrus VK-30 collided with the ground while maneuvering in the vicinity of Agua Dulce, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

The plane was flying from Henderson Executive Airport with the intended destination of Van Nuys Airport.

The victims included Thomas Hastings, 65, who was flying home after a weekend trip to Las Vegas with his daughter, Amber Hill, 27; her husband, Jacob Hill, 25; and the Hill’s 9-year-old daughter, Madison Hastings Saxelby.

Three of the passengers were pronounced dead on scene at the remote crash site south of Agua Dulce. A fourth passenger was pronounced dead after firefighters performed CPR, according to LACoFD officials.

The aircraft, a fixed-wing, single-engine aircraft sold as a “kit plane,” is known as a Cirrus VK-30. It was legally able to fly, according to the FAA.

The airplane sustained damage to the fuselage and all the flight control surfaces, the report said.

Jake Hastings, son of pilot in the crash, said in a youtube video that the plane was built in his father’s garage from 1990-1999.

A witness told air traffic investigators the plane was flying at a height of approximately 3,000 feet before the crash.

“He stated that as the airplane got closer to the mountains it looked like the wind had pushed the right wing up,” according to the preliminary report. “The airplane pitched downward into a near vertical attitude.”

The witness added that, when the right wing lifted, it sounded like the pilot “maxed the engine out,” according to the NTSB.

“He further stated there was a distinct difference in engine sound from the first time he saw the airplane when it went vertical,” said the report. “He did not see any smoke, or anything fall from the airplane as it descended towards the ground.”

The wreckage was transported to a secure facility for further examination, air traffic investigators said.

The final detailed report may take up to two years as investigators continue to look into the incident, according to the NTSB.

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