What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Local flight at gross weight low flight level and speed. Stalled in pullup flat spin to impact. Unskilled pilots. (-23) aircraft departed New Bern airport at 11:19 on 11/09/96 for a local flight to do touch-and-go landings. At approximately 11:25, hunters reported seeing aircraft flying level and slow above wooded area southeast of airport. Aircraft went into left turn then immediately went nose down. Aircraft descended into the trees. Evidence at site indicated the aircraft hit the ground in a flat spin. The aircraft was completely destroyed with three fatalities. Suspect stall/spin.
As the FAA filed it
LOCAL FLIGHT AT GROSS WEIGHT LOW FLIGHT LEVEL AND SPEED. STALLED IN PULLUP FLAT SPIN TO IMPACT. UNSKILLED PILOTS. (-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED NEW BERN AIRPORT AT 11:19 ON 11/09/96 FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT TO DO TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS. AT APPROXIMATELY 11:25, HUNTERS REPORTED SEEING AIRCRAFT FLYING LEVEL AND SLOW ABOVE WOODED AREA SOUTHEAST OF AIRPORT. AIRCRAFT WENT INTO LEFT TURN THEN IMMEDIATELY WENT NOSE DOWN. AIRCRAFT DESCENDED INTO THE TREES. EVIDENCE AT SITE INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE GROUND IN A FLAT SPIN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED WITH THREE FATALITIES. SUSPECT STALL/SPIN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.