What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During attempt too intercept ILS appears pilot banked too steeply. Lost control. High speed impact and explosion. (.4) upon arriving into the approach area for a full stop landing the pilot was instructed to turn to a 270 degree magnetic heading for sequencing for the ILS runway 16L approach; the pilot acknowledged the instructions. About two minutes later, communication and radar contact with the airplane were lost. Eye witnesses near the accident site observed the airplane as it descended below the cloud layer. The airplane was described as being in a steep left bank with the nose down. They also stated that the engines were revving. Within seconds of the visual sighting of the airplane, two large explosions were heard and a fireball was seen. The examination of the airframe failed to disclose a mechanical problem. No fire or smoke was seen coming from the airplane by the eyewitnesses before the explosions were heard. The pilot did not report experiencing a problem with the airplane to the tower controller. The pilot toxicological examination of samples disclosed the presence of decongestants, antihistamines, and sedatives. These medications are over the counter cold remedies. Operation of machinery including automobiles while taking this type of medication is not recommended. Many medications, such as tranquilizers, sedatives, strong pain relievers, and cough-suppressant preparations have primary effects that may impair judgment, memory, alertness coordination and ability to make calculations. (-23) while the aircraft was being vectored for the ILS 16L approach to Jackson International Airport (jan), all communication and radio contact with the aircraft was lost. Witnesses observed the aircraft descend from the cloud basis in what they described as a moderate to steeply banked left turn, with the nose slightly low. Visual contact with the aircraft was lost and two explosions followed by a fireball were observed. The aircraft wreckage was located approximately 14.5 NM nw of the jan airport. The wreckage debris is on a 120 degree heading and is approximately 1,300' long by 150' wide.
As the FAA filed it
DURING ATTEMPT TOO INTERCEPT ILS APPEARS PILOT BANKED TOO STEEPLY. LOST CONTROL. HIGH SPEED IMPACT AND EXPLOSION. (.4) UPON ARRIVING INTO THE APPROACH AREA FOR A FULL STOP LANDING THE PILOT WAS INSTRUCTED TO TURN TO A 270 DEGREE MAGNETIC HEADING FOR SEQUENCING FOR THE ILS RUNWAY 16L APPROACH; THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED THE INSTRUCTIONS. ABOUT TWO MINUTES LATER, COMMUNICATION AND RADAR CONTACT WITH THE AIRPLANE WERE LOST. EYE WITNESSES NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE AS IT DESCENDED BELOW THE CLOUD LAYER. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESCRIBED AS BEING IN A STEEP LEFT BANK WITH THE NOSE DOWN. THEY ALSO STATED THAT THE ENGINES WERE REVVING. WITHIN SECONDS OF THE VISUAL SIGHTING OF THE AIRPLANE, TWO LARGE EXPLOSIONS WERE HEARD AND A FIREBALL WAS SEEN. THE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME FAILED TO DISCLOSE A MECHANICAL PROBLEM. NO FIRE OR SMOKE WAS SEEN COMING FROM THE AIRPLANE BY THE EYEWITNESSES BEFORE THE EXPLOSIONS WERE HEARD. THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT EXPERIENCING A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRPLANE TO THE TOWER CONTROLLER. THE PILOT TOXICOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF SAMPLES DISCLOSED THE PRESENCE OF DECONGESTANTS, ANTIHISTAMINES, AND SEDATIVES. THESE MEDICATIONS ARE OVER THE COUNTER COLD REMEDIES. OPERATION OF MACHINERY INCLUDING AUTOMOBILES WHILE TAKING THIS TYPE OF MEDICATION IS NOT RECOMMENDED. MANY MEDICATIONS, SUCH AS TRANQUILIZERS, SEDATIVES, STRONG PAIN RELIEVERS, AND COUGH-SUPPRESSANT PREPARATIONS HAVE PRIMARY EFFECTS THAT MAY IMPAIR JUDGMENT, MEMORY, ALERTNESS COORDINATION AND ABILITY TO MAKE CALCULATIONS. (-23) WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING VECTORED FOR THE ILS 16L APPROACH TO JACKSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (JAN), ALL COMMUNICATION AND RADIO CONTACT WITH THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOST. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT DESCEND FROM THE CLOUD BASIS IN WHAT THEY DESCRIBED AS A MODERATE TO STEEPLY BANKED LEFT TURN, WITH THE NOSE SLIGHTLY LOW. VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOST AND TWO EXPLOSIONS FOLLOWED BY A FIREBALL WERE OBSERVED. THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 14.5 NM NW OF THE JAN AIRPORT. THE WRECKAGE DEBRIS IS ON A 120 DEGREE HEADING AND IS APPROXIMATELY 1,300' LONG BY 150' WIDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.