What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
VFR pilot lost control in clouds. Spatial disorientation no doubt occured wreckage indicates in spiral at impact. (-23) on November 30, 1997, at approximately 1310 eastern daylight time, N302RS, a commander 114B, serial number 14653, crashed in the vicinity of Cross City, Florida, instrument meteorological conditions prevailid in the area and no VFR flight plan had been activated for this 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The non instrument rated private pilot, joseph parry young, certificate number 263049026, and his passengers, joann and eric c. young, were fatally injured as a result of the accident. The aircraft was completely destroyed. The flight originated November 30, 1997, from crystal river, Florida (X31) with its planned final destination as tallahassee, Florida (tlh). The aircraft departed X31 at approximately 1237 EDT, the accident occurred approximately 26 minutes later under instrument meteorological conditions. The aircraft was heading north west, altitude 3,300, 3,400, 3,700 then enters a left spiral turn and goes off radar at 1,600 at N29.35 W83.16. The aircraft was reported missing on December 3, 1997 and was located on December 4, 1997. Five weather briefings between 0737 EDT and 1208 EDT were obtained with the third breifing stating tlh is IFR, VFR flight is not recommended. Examination of the crash site revealed that the aircraft collided with the top of a 60 foot tree while descending in a nose down attitude. The aircraft collided with the ground/water 102 feet from the initial point of impact separating the left aileron and the outboard section of the right flap. The airplane bounced, collided with the trees and cmae to rest at a heading of 040 degrees magnetic about 125 feet from the initial impact point. Left wing pushed aft, fuel tank ruptured, wing tip separated outboard and aft to the main spar. Right wing accelerated forward wrapping the outboard section and tip around a tree, fuel tank ruptured. Engine assembly separated from the firewall and rotated 90 degrees to the left. The propeller assembly was attached and all three propeller blades were bent aft, torsional twisting, and s' bending were also present. The cabin area was destroyed from the glareshield aft to the empennage. All landing gear were in the retracted position. Estimated fuel on board was 61 gallons at the time of the accident. Hobbs meter indicated the time at 31.9 hours. A review of the aircraft records indicate that the aircraft had no maintenance performed since its release from the manufacturer. The engine had an oil and filter change at 24.4 hours. The propeller had no maintenance performed since its release from the manufacturer.
As the FAA filed it
VFR PILOT LOST CONTROL IN CLOUDS. SPATIAL DISORIENTATION NO DOUBT OCCURED WRECKAGE INDICATES IN SPIRAL AT IMPACT. (-23) ON NOVEMBER 30, 1997, AT APPROXIMATELY 1310 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, N302RS, A COMMANDER 114B, SERIAL NUMBER 14653, CRASHED IN THE VICINITY OF CROSS CITY, FLORIDA, INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILID IN THE AREA AND NO VFR FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN ACTIVATED FOR THIS 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE NON INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT, JOSEPH PARRY YOUNG, CERTIFICATE NUMBER 263049026, AND HIS PASSENGERS, JOANN AND ERIC C. YOUNG, WERE FATALLY INJURED AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED NOVEMBER 30, 1997, FROM CRYSTAL RIVER, FLORIDA (X31) WITH ITS PLANNED FINAL DESTINATION AS TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA (TLH). THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED X31 AT APPROXIMATELY 1237 EDT, THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 26 MINUTES LATER UNDER INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS HEADING NORTH WEST, ALTITUDE 3,300, 3,400, 3,700 THEN ENTERS A LEFT SPIRAL TURN AND GOES OFF RADAR AT 1,600 AT N29.35 W83.16. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPORTED MISSING ON DECEMBER 3, 1997 AND WAS LOCATED ON DECEMBER 4, 1997. FIVE WEATHER BRIEFINGS BETWEEN 0737 EDT AND 1208 EDT WERE OBTAINED WITH THE THIRD BREIFING STATING TLH IS IFR, VFR FLIGHT IS NOT RECOMMENDED. EXAMINATION OF THE CRASH SITE REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE TOP OF A 60 FOOT TREE WHILE DESCENDING IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND/WATER 102 FEET FROM THE INITIAL POINT OF IMPACT SEPARATING THE LEFT AILERON AND THE OUTBOARD SECTION OF THE RIGHT FLAP. THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED, COLLIDED WITH THE TREES AND CMAE TO REST AT A HEADING OF 040 DEGREES MAGNETIC ABOUT 125 FEET FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT. LEFT WING PUSHED AFT, FUEL TANK RUPTURED, WING TIP SEPARATED OUTBOARD AND AFT TO THE MAIN SPAR. RIGHT WING ACCELERATED FORWARD WRAPPING THE OUTBOARD SECTION AND TIP AROUND A TREE, FUEL TANK RUPTURED. ENGINE ASSEMBLY SEPARATED FROM THE FIREWALL AND ROTATED 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT. THE PROPELLER ASSEMBLY WAS ATTACHED AND ALL THREE PROPELLER BLADES WERE BENT AFT, TORSIONAL TWISTING, AND S' BENDING WERE ALSO PRESENT. THE CABIN AREA WAS DESTROYED FROM THE GLARESHIELD AFT TO THE EMPENNAGE. ALL LANDING GEAR WERE IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. ESTIMATED FUEL ON BOARD WAS 61 GALLONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. HOBBS METER INDICATED THE TIME AT 31.9 HOURS. A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD NO MAINTENANCE PERFORMED SINCE ITS RELEASE FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE ENGINE HAD AN OIL AND FILTER CHANGE AT 24.4 HOURS. THE PROPELLER HAD NO MAINTENANCE PERFORMED SINCE ITS RELEASE FROM THE MANUFACTURER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.