What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed under unknown circumstances, 2 POB suffered fatal inj, acft was destroyed. Middleboro, MA. (.4)the civil air patrol Cessna 182 was conducting what was briefed as a 1 hour instrument proficiency flight. After 30 minutes the pilots cancelled the instrument flight rules clearance and the flight continued under visual flight rules. About 15 minutes later the airplane was observed to conduct a low approach to a private airport, and then initiated a climbing right turn. During the climb, the bank increased and the airplane descended into trees with no change in engine power. No evidence of a pre-existing mechanical failure or malfunction was found. The pilot-in-command held a second class medical certificate and had been treated for migraine headaches. No record of migraines was found in his medical certificate application. In addition, morphine was found in the pilot's blood at a level much higher than would be expected from a normal dose of the narcotic medication. The second pilot had a special issuance 3rd class medical certificate due to history of myocardial infarction and treatment with angioplasty, and diet control le diabetes. (-23) on may 25, 1998 about 1651 eastern standard time, a Cessna CE-182R, N9885E, was destroyed when it collided with trees during an uncontrolled descent while in a steep angle of climb at Middleboro, MA. The two pilots were fatally injured. The two civil air patrol pilots were on an instrument flight plan for the purpose of an instrument proficiency flight. The IFR flight plan was canceled fifteen minutes prior to the crash. A witness was outside on the deck which surrounds her pool, said she heard an aircraft operating at a high power setting across the street. She observed an airplane which she described as white and having one wing across the top, appearing over the trees, climbing at a steep angle. The witness stated that the aircraft was very low and that she could see the whole belly of the plane, which was climbing straight towards her. It turned sharply to the right and made a steep descent, nearly straight down, with no change in engine power as it descended. Examination of the wreckage did not disclose evidence of mechanical malfunctions, and the wreckage was released by the NTSB to the c ivil air patrol on may 27, 1998.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, 2 POB SUFFERED FATAL INJ, ACFT WAS DESTROYED. MIDDLEBORO, MA. (.4)THE CIVIL AIR PATROL CESSNA 182 WAS CONDUCTING WHAT WAS BRIEFED AS A 1 HOUR INSTRUMENT PROFICIENCY FLIGHT. AFTER 30 MINUTES THE PILOTS CANCELLED THE INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES CLEARANCE AND THE FLIGHT CONTINUED UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES. ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO CONDUCT A LOW APPROACH TO A PRIVATE AIRPORT, AND THEN INITIATED A CLIMBING RIGHT TURN. DURING THE CLIMB, THE BANK INCREASED AND THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED INTO TREES WITH NO CHANGE IN ENGINE POWER. NO EVIDENCE OF A PRE-EXISTING MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND HELD A SECOND CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE AND HAD BEEN TREATED FOR MIGRAINE HEADACHES. NO RECORD OF MIGRAINES WAS FOUND IN HIS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE APPLICATION. IN ADDITION, MORPHINE WAS FOUND IN THE PILOT'S BLOOD AT A LEVEL MUCH HIGHER THAN WOULD BE EXPECTED FROM A NORMAL DOSE OF THE NARCOTIC MEDICATION. THE SECOND PILOT HAD A SPECIAL ISSUANCE 3RD CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE DUE TO HISTORY OF MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION AND TREATMENT WITH ANGIOPLASTY, AND DIET CONTROL LE DIABETES. (-23) ON MAY 25, 1998 ABOUT 1651 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA CE-182R, N9885E, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH TREES DURING AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT WHILE IN A STEEP ANGLE OF CLIMB AT MIDDLEBORO, MA. THE TWO PILOTS WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE TWO CIVIL AIR PATROL PILOTS WERE ON AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN FOR THE PURPOSE OF AN INSTRUMENT PROFICIENCY FLIGHT. THE IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS CANCELED FIFTEEN MINUTES PRIOR TO THE CRASH. A WITNESS WAS OUTSIDE ON THE DECK WHICH SURROUNDS HER POOL, SAID SHE HEARD AN AIRCRAFT OPERATING AT A HIGH POWER SETTING ACROSS THE STREET. SHE OBSERVED AN AIRPLANE WHICH SHE DESCRIBED AS WHITE AND HAVING ONE WING ACROSS THE TOP, APPEARING OVER THE TREES, CLIMBING AT A STEEP ANGLE. THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS VERY LOW AND THAT SHE COULD SEE THE WHOLE BELLY OF THE PLANE, WHICH WAS CLIMBING STRAIGHT TOWARDS HER. IT TURNED SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT AND MADE A STEEP DESCENT, NEARLY STRAIGHT DOWN, WITH NO CHANGE IN ENGINE POWER AS IT DESCENDED. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT DISCLOSE EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS, AND THE WRECKAGE WAS RELEASED BY THE NTSB TO THE C IVIL AIR PATROL ON MAY 27, 1998.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.