What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On March 14, 1997, at approximately 8:41PM EST, a Piper PA-24-260, registration number N8857P, registered to private pilot, paul j. mansour crashed into the mountains about 3 miles north-northeast of Andrews-Murphy Airport, near Andrews, north carolina. A flight plan was filed and instrument meteorological conditions prevailed when the aircraft crashed. The aircraft was destroyed when it impacted the top of a ridge (crashed on downslope) fatally injuring pilot in command, paul j. mansour and lone passenger, connie s. snyder. The flight originated at about 7:54PM from the atlanta interanational airport, atlanta, Georgia. According to data from atlanta air route traffic control center, the aircraft was observed on radar turning to a northeast heading at 7,000 feet altitude. The pilot then cancelled the IFR flight clearance at 8:38 pm and was last seen on radar about 1.8 miles north-northeast of the airport at 7,100 feet altitude. The wreckage was located on March 15, 1997 by local rescue units and the county sherrif's department. The bodies were not recovered from the mountain until about 10:30 pm on March 15, 1997, due to the difficult terrain surrounding the crash site. Due to the force of the crash, most instrumentation/avionics equipment was either not recovered, not identifiable, or damaged to such extent that little information could be obtained from these units. Both the engine and aircraft manufacturers performed an investigation at the crash site.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON MARCH 14, 1997, AT APPROXIMATELY 8:41PM EST, A PIPER PA-24-260, REGISTRATION NUMBER N8857P, REGISTERED TO PRIVATE PILOT, PAUL J. MANSOUR CRASHED INTO THE MOUNTAINS ABOUT 3 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF ANDREWS-MURPHY AIRPORT, NEAR ANDREWS, NORTH CAROLINA. A FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED AND INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED THE TOP OF A RIDGE (CRASHED ON DOWNSLOPE) FATALLY INJURING PILOT IN COMMAND, PAUL J. MANSOUR AND LONE PASSENGER, CONNIE S. SNYDER. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT ABOUT 7:54PM FROM THE ATLANTA INTERANATIONAL AIRPORT, ATLANTA, GEORGIA. ACCORDING TO DATA FROM ATLANTA AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER, THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED ON RADAR TURNING TO A NORTHEAST HEADING AT 7,000 FEET ALTITUDE. THE PILOT THEN CANCELLED THE IFR FLIGHT CLEARANCE AT 8:38 PM AND WAS LAST SEEN ON RADAR ABOUT 1.8 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT AT 7,100 FEET ALTITUDE. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ON MARCH 15, 1997 BY LOCAL RESCUE UNITS AND THE COUNTY SHERRIF'S DEPARTMENT. THE BODIES WERE NOT RECOVERED FROM THE MOUNTAIN UNTIL ABOUT 10:30 PM ON MARCH 15, 1997, DUE TO THE DIFFICULT TERRAIN SURROUNDING THE CRASH SITE. DUE TO THE FORCE OF THE CRASH, MOST INSTRUMENTATION/AVIONICS EQUIPMENT WAS EITHER NOT RECOVERED, NOT IDENTIFIABLE, OR DAMAGED TO SUCH EXTENT THAT LITTLE INFORMATION COULD BE OBTAINED FROM THESE UNITS. BOTH THE ENGINE AND AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS PERFORMED AN INVESTIGATION AT THE CRASH SITE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N8857P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.