What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 12, 1998, about 1810 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-180D, N7826N, registered to a private individual, collided with trees while approaching to land no runway 27, at Twin Lakes Airport advance, north carolina, while on a title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage and the private rated pilot was fatally injured. The passenger received serious injuries. The flight last departed chattanooga, Tennessee, the same day, about 1612. The passenger stated they flew west to east from chattanooga to advance. They approached with the airport to the left and turned onto final approach to land toward the west. Neither he nor the pilot were wearing sunglasses or had the aircrafts sun visor down. As they lined up with the runway, he looked out the front windshield and was blinded and disoriented by the sun. The sun wasdi rectly at the end of the runway, over the runway. He then realized he was looking at the runway through tree branches. They collided with the branches and he then felt a large impact. The pilots body came between himself and the instrument panel. He became unconscious and next awoke trapped in the wreckage. A witness reported hearing the engine of the aircraft accelaerate to high power followed by the sound of the aircraft colliding with trees and crashing to the ground. A short time later, he found the wreckage of the aircraft at the edge of a wooded area near the runway. A pilot who departed on runway 27 shortly before the accident reported visibility was restricted by the setting sun directly down the runway to the west. (-23) on final approach to runway 27, aircraft struck 60' trees approximately 300' from runway threshold, causing outboard 5' section of left wing to separate. Aircraft came to rest nosedown on its left side. Indications of engine power were present. Pilot was fatally injured; passenger received serious injuries. According to passenger statement, the setting sun was creating a blinding glare, which may have caused the pilot to misjudge the aircraft's proximity to the trees. Pilot was familiar with the airport and the approach. No mechanical difficulties noted.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 12, 1998, ABOUT 1810 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-28-180D, N7826N, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, COLLIDED WITH TREES WHILE APPROACHING TO LAND NO RUNWAY 27, AT TWIN LAKES AIRPORT ADVANCE, NORTH CAROLINA, WHILE ON A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE PRIVATE RATED PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT LAST DEPARTED CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE, THE SAME DAY, ABOUT 1612. THE PASSENGER STATED THEY FLEW WEST TO EAST FROM CHATTANOOGA TO ADVANCE. THEY APPROACHED WITH THE AIRPORT TO THE LEFT AND TURNED ONTO FINAL APPROACH TO LAND TOWARD THE WEST. NEITHER HE NOR THE PILOT WERE WEARING SUNGLASSES OR HAD THE AIRCRAFTS SUN VISOR DOWN. AS THEY LINED UP WITH THE RUNWAY, HE LOOKED OUT THE FRONT WINDSHIELD AND WAS BLINDED AND DISORIENTED BY THE SUN. THE SUN WASDI RECTLY AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY, OVER THE RUNWAY. HE THEN REALIZED HE WAS LOOKING AT THE RUNWAY THROUGH TREE BRANCHES. THEY COLLIDED WITH THE BRANCHES AND HE THEN FELT A LARGE IMPACT. THE PILOTS BODY CAME BETWEEN HIMSELF AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. HE BECAME UNCONSCIOUS AND NEXT AWOKE TRAPPED IN THE WRECKAGE. A WITNESS REPORTED HEARING THE ENGINE OF THE AIRCRAFT ACCELAERATE TO HIGH POWER FOLLOWED BY THE SOUND OF THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDING WITH TREES AND CRASHING TO THE GROUND. A SHORT TIME LATER, HE FOUND THE WRECKAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THE EDGE OF A WOODED AREA NEAR THE RUNWAY. A PILOT WHO DEPARTED ON RUNWAY 27 SHORTLY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT REPORTED VISIBILITY WAS RESTRICTED BY THE SETTING SUN DIRECTLY DOWN THE RUNWAY TO THE WEST. (-23) ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 27, AIRCRAFT STRUCK 60' TREES APPROXIMATELY 300' FROM RUNWAY THRESHOLD, CAUSING OUTBOARD 5' SECTION OF LEFT WING TO SEPARATE. AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST NOSEDOWN ON ITS LEFT SIDE. INDICATIONS OF ENGINE POWER WERE PRESENT. PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED; PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. ACCORDING TO PASSENGER STATEMENT, THE SETTING SUN WAS CREATING A BLINDING GLARE, WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED THE PILOT TO MISJUDGE THE AIRCRAFT'S PROXIMITY TO THE TREES. PILOT WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE AIRPORT AND THE APPROACH. NO MECHANICAL DIFFICULTIES NOTED.
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 N7826N · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.