What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Flew into side of cloud obsurced mountain. Had recieved special VFR departing athens ga. (.4)the pilot received a weather briefing, which showed instrument flight rules conditions were present along the route of flight near the destination. An enroute stop was made about 57 miles south of the destination and a special VFR clearance was received to land at the airport due to instrument meteorological conditions. The flight departed for the destination after receiving another special VFR clearance, and after frequency change was approved, no further transmissions were received from the flight. The aircraft wreckage was found at the 4,400-foot MSL level on a 4,600-foot MSL mountain, 15 miles southeast of the destination. The aircraft had collided with trees while on a northerly heading, in a level attitude, causing separation of the outboard wings. Postcrash examination of the aircraft, flight controls, and engine showed no evidence of precrash failure or malfunction. At the time of the accident, the weather reporting stations around the crash site were showing broken to overcast ceilings between 3,800 and 4,200 feet MSL wit h visibilities 1.5-5 miles in mist and light rain. (-23) acft struck trees & crashed.
As the FAA filed it
FLEW INTO SIDE OF CLOUD OBSURCED MOUNTAIN. HAD RECIEVED SPECIAL VFR DEPARTING ATHENS GA. (.4)THE PILOT RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING, WHICH SHOWED INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES CONDITIONS WERE PRESENT ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT NEAR THE DESTINATION. AN ENROUTE STOP WAS MADE ABOUT 57 MILES SOUTH OF THE DESTINATION AND A SPECIAL VFR CLEARANCE WAS RECEIVED TO LAND AT THE AIRPORT DUE TO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FOR THE DESTINATION AFTER RECEIVING ANOTHER SPECIAL VFR CLEARANCE, AND AFTER FREQUENCY CHANGE WAS APPROVED, NO FURTHER TRANSMISSIONS WERE RECEIVED FROM THE FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS FOUND AT THE 4,400-FOOT MSL LEVEL ON A 4,600-FOOT MSL MOUNTAIN, 15 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE DESTINATION. THE AIRCRAFT HAD COLLIDED WITH TREES WHILE ON A NORTHERLY HEADING, IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE, CAUSING SEPARATION OF THE OUTBOARD WINGS. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT, FLIGHT CONTROLS, AND ENGINE SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF PRECRASH FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE WEATHER REPORTING STATIONS AROUND THE CRASH SITE WERE SHOWING BROKEN TO OVERCAST CEILINGS BETWEEN 3,800 AND 4,200 FEET MSL WIT H VISIBILITIES 1.5-5 MILES IN MIST AND LIGHT RAIN. (-23) ACFT STRUCK TREES & CRASHED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.