What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed und unk circ, pilot suffered fatal inj, acft was destroyed, Robinson, IL. (.4)a witness observed the airplane in flight just before the accident occurred. He said that he saw the airplane fly south to north at a very low altitude before it disappeared. A minute later, the witness saw the airplane heading westbound. He watched the airplane until it disappeared behind some trees. The witness said that the weather was very rainy and windy, with very bad visibility. There were no witnesses to the airplane accident. The pilot was not instrument rated, and had logged no flight time in actual instrument weather conditions. The weather observation reported by the flight service station at terre haute, Indiana (38 miles north-northeast of the accident site), on 11/2/97, at 1745 EST (1645 CST), was few clouds at 2,400 feet above ground level (AGL), a broken ceiling at 3,300 feet AGL, an overcast ceiling at 5,000 feet AGL, and rain showers. (-23) the flight departed roanoke, Virginia and proceeded into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The non-instrument rated pilot contacted a tree with the left wing causing the aircraft to crash. The wreckage was located two days after the accident.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED UND UNK CIRC, PILOT SUFFERED FATAL INJ, ACFT WAS DESTROYED, ROBINSON, IL. (.4)A WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE IN FLIGHT JUST BEFORE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. HE SAID THAT HE SAW THE AIRPLANE FLY SOUTH TO NORTH AT A VERY LOW ALTITUDE BEFORE IT DISAPPEARED. A MINUTE LATER, THE WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE HEADING WESTBOUND. HE WATCHED THE AIRPLANE UNTIL IT DISAPPEARED BEHIND SOME TREES. THE WITNESS SAID THAT THE WEATHER WAS VERY RAINY AND WINDY, WITH VERY BAD VISIBILITY. THERE WERE NO WITNESSES TO THE AIRPLANE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED, AND HAD LOGGED NO FLIGHT TIME IN ACTUAL INSTRUMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE WEATHER OBSERVATION REPORTED BY THE FLIGHT SERVICE STATION AT TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA (38 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE), ON 11/2/97, AT 1745 EST (1645 CST), WAS FEW CLOUDS AT 2,400 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL), A BROKEN CEILING AT 3,300 FEET AGL, AN OVERCAST CEILING AT 5,000 FEET AGL, AND RAIN SHOWERS. (-23) THE FLIGHT DEPARTED ROANOKE, VIRGINIA AND PROCEEDED INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC). THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT CONTACTED A TREE WITH THE LEFT WING CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO CRASH. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED TWO DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
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 N7890P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.