What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(Tty) exper acft crashed under unknown circumstances, 2POB suffered fatal inj, acft was destroyed. Martinsville, LA. (.4)the non-instrument rated commercial pilot lost control of the airplane after encountering night instrument conditions accompanied by moderate to severe turbulence while on a night cross country flight. Prior to the lost of control, the pilot had been receiving VFR traffic advisories from houston center at 11,500 feet. Radar and radio contact was lost when the airplane was approximately 20 nautical miles east of lafayette, Louisiana. The airplane was last observed by radar at 10,200 feet. No distress calls were received from the aircraft. Departure control had advised the pilot of the weather advisory cwa 102 which called for a 30 NM wide area along his route of flight of moderate to severe turbulence from 4,000 to 12,000 feet associated with wind shear. About 20 minutes prior to the accident, a pilot of an ATR72 airplane reported encountering moderate-severe turbulence between 5,000 and 8,000 feet, about 10.5 NM north of the accident site. The pilot had been provided with weather advisories calling for adverse weather and mar ginal VFR along his anticipated route of flight. No structural or mechanical anomalies were observed during an examination of the airplane. (-23) on April 16, 1998, at 2020 central daylight time (CDT), a young glasair iii experimental airplane, N238BC, owned and operated by the pilot, was destroyed during terrain impact near St. Martinville, Louisiana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed throughout the area and a flight plan was not filed for the title 14 CFR, part 91, personal flight. The commercial pilot and pilot rated passenger were fatally injured. The flight departed from lake charles, Louisiana, approximately 1950 CDT, for a destination of lakeland, Florida.
As the FAA filed it
(TTY) EXPER ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, 2POB SUFFERED FATAL INJ, ACFT WAS DESTROYED. MARTINSVILLE, LA. (.4)THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED COMMERCIAL PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AFTER ENCOUNTERING NIGHT INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS ACCOMPANIED BY MODERATE TO SEVERE TURBULENCE WHILE ON A NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. PRIOR TO THE LOST OF CONTROL, THE PILOT HAD BEEN RECEIVING VFR TRAFFIC ADVISORIES FROM HOUSTON CENTER AT 11,500 FEET. RADAR AND RADIO CONTACT WAS LOST WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20 NAUTICAL MILES EAST OF LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA. THE AIRPLANE WAS LAST OBSERVED BY RADAR AT 10,200 FEET. NO DISTRESS CALLS WERE RECEIVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. DEPARTURE CONTROL HAD ADVISED THE PILOT OF THE WEATHER ADVISORY CWA 102 WHICH CALLED FOR A 30 NM WIDE AREA ALONG HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT OF MODERATE TO SEVERE TURBULENCE FROM 4,000 TO 12,000 FEET ASSOCIATED WITH WIND SHEAR. ABOUT 20 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, A PILOT OF AN ATR72 AIRPLANE REPORTED ENCOUNTERING MODERATE-SEVERE TURBULENCE BETWEEN 5,000 AND 8,000 FEET, ABOUT 10.5 NM NORTH OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE PILOT HAD BEEN PROVIDED WITH WEATHER ADVISORIES CALLING FOR ADVERSE WEATHER AND MAR GINAL VFR ALONG HIS ANTICIPATED ROUTE OF FLIGHT. NO STRUCTURAL OR MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WERE OBSERVED DURING AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE. (-23) ON APRIL 16, 1998, AT 2020 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME (CDT), A YOUNG GLASAIR III EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE, N238BC, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED DURING TERRAIN IMPACT NEAR ST. MARTINVILLE, LOUISIANA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED THROUGHOUT THE AREA AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR, PART 91, PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND PILOT RATED PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA, APPROXIMATELY 1950 CDT, FOR A DESTINATION OF LAKELAND, FLORIDA.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.