What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Reported in trouble climbing to cruise. Lost control crashed in orchard. Thunderstrom cells in area. Sigmets out (.4)the pilot had received a weather briefing and was aware of the weather conditions west and north of the airport. The pilot was issued the flight clearance as filed, and was assigned an initial altitude of 2000 feet. Approximately five minutes into the flight, the air traffic controller questioned the pilot concerning the assigned heading. The controller stated that the pilot 'sounded extremely strained' and replied, 'N269M is in trouble.' Radar altitude data showed a rapid loss of altitude for N269M; the last radar altitude data showed the flight at 2800 feet. The airplane collided with the ground in a nose low attitude. Weather radar data from the miami weather surveillance radar-1988, doppler (WSR-88D) showed a large, intense convective cell just west of Boca Raton between 1530:15 and 1535:57. Moderate to very heavy rain showers were associated with the convective activity. A review of the radar data showed that N269M was 3.5 to 4.0 miles north of the core of the large convective cell. (-23)inspector privacy data omitted received accident notification aircraft (N269M) departed Boca Raton, FL to lawrenceville ga. After take-off N269M was cleared to 5000 feet. Pilot stated "369M in trouble", aircraft rapidly descended, disappeared from radar. Aircraft crashed in a tree fram located in delray beach west of atlantic ave and one mile road. Aircraft destroyed over approxiamtely 1/2 acre. 3 fatal.
As the FAA filed it
REPORTED IN TROUBLE CLIMBING TO CRUISE. LOST CONTROL CRASHED IN ORCHARD. THUNDERSTROM CELLS IN AREA. SIGMETS OUT (.4)THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING AND WAS AWARE OF THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WEST AND NORTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT WAS ISSUED THE FLIGHT CLEARANCE AS FILED, AND WAS ASSIGNED AN INITIAL ALTITUDE OF 2000 FEET. APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER QUESTIONED THE PILOT CONCERNING THE ASSIGNED HEADING. THE CONTROLLER STATED THAT THE PILOT 'SOUNDED EXTREMELY STRAINED' AND REPLIED, 'N269M IS IN TROUBLE.' RADAR ALTITUDE DATA SHOWED A RAPID LOSS OF ALTITUDE FOR N269M; THE LAST RADAR ALTITUDE DATA SHOWED THE FLIGHT AT 2800 FEET. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. WEATHER RADAR DATA FROM THE MIAMI WEATHER SURVEILLANCE RADAR-1988, DOPPLER (WSR-88D) SHOWED A LARGE, INTENSE CONVECTIVE CELL JUST WEST OF BOCA RATON BETWEEN 1530:15 AND 1535:57. MODERATE TO VERY HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. A REVIEW OF THE RADAR DATA SHOWED THAT N269M WAS 3.5 TO 4.0 MILES NORTH OF THE CORE OF THE LARGE CONVECTIVE CELL. (-23)INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY^ RECEIVED ACCIDENT NOTIFICATION AIRCRAFT (N269M) DEPARTED BOCA RATON, FL TO LAWRENCEVILLE GA. AFTER TAKE-OFF N269M WAS CLEARED TO 5000 FEET. PILOT STATED "369M IN TROUBLE", AIRCRAFT RAPIDLY DESCENDED, DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR. AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN A TREE FRAM LOCATED IN DELRAY BEACH WEST OF ATLANTIC AVE AND ONE MILE ROAD. AIRCRAFT DESTROYED OVER APPROXIAMTELY 1/2 ACRE. 3 FATAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.