What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Arct crashed und unk circ, pilot suffered fatal inj, acft was destroyed. Mcgehee, AR. (.4)the instrument rated commercial pilot lost control of the agricultural airplane while attempting to return to his home base airstrip after heavy fog formed in the early dawn. Physical evidence at the accident site indicates that the airplane impacted trees and terrain in a nose low attitude in a right turn, at a high rate of speed. Flight instruments installed in the 1988 model turbine powered airplane amounted an altimeter, an airspeed indicator, and a slip indicator. There were no reported eye witnesses to the accident. Examination of the wreckage at the accident site and a review of the aircraft maintenance records did not disclose any anomalies or evidence of pre-impact malfunction that could have prevented normal operations. (-23) on March 19, 1998, at approximately 0600 hours local standard time, an air tractor, AT-502 agriculture airplane, N10035, crashed in the vicinity of a private agriculture airstrip approximately two miles to the west of mcgehee, Arkansas. It was stated by witnesses that the weather at the time o f the crash was obscured by fog with approximately 1/8 mile visibility. No flight plan was filed. No weather report was retrieved from the weather service. The pilot, owner/operator of the aircraft was fatally injured during the crash sequence.
As the FAA filed it
ARCT CRASHED UND UNK CIRC, PILOT SUFFERED FATAL INJ, ACFT WAS DESTROYED. MCGEHEE, AR. (.4)THE INSTRUMENT RATED COMMERCIAL PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AGRICULTURAL AIRPLANE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO HIS HOME BASE AIRSTRIP AFTER HEAVY FOG FORMED IN THE EARLY DAWN. PHYSICAL EVIDENCE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE INDICATES THAT THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES AND TERRAIN IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE IN A RIGHT TURN, AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS INSTALLED IN THE 1988 MODEL TURBINE POWERED AIRPLANE AMOUNTED AN ALTIMETER, AN AIRSPEED INDICATOR, AND A SLIP INDICATOR. THERE WERE NO REPORTED EYE WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE AND A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY ANOMALIES OR EVIDENCE OF PRE-IMPACT MALFUNCTION THAT COULD HAVE PREVENTED NORMAL OPERATIONS. (-23) ON MARCH 19, 1998, AT APPROXIMATELY 0600 HOURS LOCAL STANDARD TIME, AN AIR TRACTOR, AT-502 AGRICULTURE AIRPLANE, N10035, CRASHED IN THE VICINITY OF A PRIVATE AGRICULTURE AIRSTRIP APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES TO THE WEST OF MCGEHEE, ARKANSAS. IT WAS STATED BY WITNESSES THAT THE WEATHER AT THE TIME O F THE CRASH WAS OBSCURED BY FOG WITH APPROXIMATELY 1/8 MILE VISIBILITY. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. NO WEATHER REPORT WAS RETRIEVED FROM THE WEATHER SERVICE. THE PILOT, OWNER/OPERATOR OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS FATALLY INJURED DURING THE CRASH SEQUENCE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.