What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(Tty) acft crashed und unk circ while landing, pilot suffer fatal inj, pass serious inj, Chatham, MA. (.4)according to the passengers, the airplane landed on runway 24. The wind 'affected the airplane,' and the pilot aborted the landing. The initial climb was normal, and the engine produced maximum power. Then, an 'unknown force slam[med] the left wing down,' and the airplane rolled approximately 90 degrees. The airplane descended toward a pond and impacted trees. One of the passengers heard the stall warning horn after the upset, but said she did not feel a stall; it was 'more of a violent down draft forcing the left wing down.' Several witnesses reported observing the airplane at the departure end of runway 24 in a climb, just above the trees, when it banked 90 degrees left and descended into the trees. The witnesses also reported hearing the engine, and stated that it sounded loud. The reported winds at the time of the accident were from 290 degrees at 17 knots, gusting to 33 knots, with a peak gust of 42 knots. Examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal any evidence of a mechanical malfunction. (-23) see narrative # NYC98FA034.
As the FAA filed it
(TTY) ACFT CRASHED UND UNK CIRC WHILE LANDING, PILOT SUFFER FATAL INJ, PASS SERIOUS INJ, CHATHAM, MA. (.4)ACCORDING TO THE PASSENGERS, THE AIRPLANE LANDED ON RUNWAY 24. THE WIND 'AFFECTED THE AIRPLANE,' AND THE PILOT ABORTED THE LANDING. THE INITIAL CLIMB WAS NORMAL, AND THE ENGINE PRODUCED MAXIMUM POWER. THEN, AN 'UNKNOWN FORCE SLAM[MED] THE LEFT WING DOWN,' AND THE AIRPLANE ROLLED APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES. THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED TOWARD A POND AND IMPACTED TREES. ONE OF THE PASSENGERS HEARD THE STALL WARNING HORN AFTER THE UPSET, BUT SAID SHE DID NOT FEEL A STALL; IT WAS 'MORE OF A VIOLENT DOWN DRAFT FORCING THE LEFT WING DOWN.' SEVERAL WITNESSES REPORTED OBSERVING THE AIRPLANE AT THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 24 IN A CLIMB, JUST ABOVE THE TREES, WHEN IT BANKED 90 DEGREES LEFT AND DESCENDED INTO THE TREES. THE WITNESSES ALSO REPORTED HEARING THE ENGINE, AND STATED THAT IT SOUNDED LOUD. THE REPORTED WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE FROM 290 DEGREES AT 17 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 33 KNOTS, WITH A PEAK GUST OF 42 KNOTS. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE AND ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY EVIDENCE OF A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. (-23) SEE NARRATIVE # NYC98FA034.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.