What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)The pilot and pilot rated passenger (prp) were en route to frederick (fdk), Maryland, when the airplane collided with mountainous terrain 40 miles from the destination. Several witnesses near the crash site heard an airplane overfly their homes at a low altitude. They reported that the engine was operating as it flew overhead, then they heard the engine stop followed by a 'thud.' According to the witnesses, it was cloudy, and the fog had covered the tops of the 50 foot tall trees. The flight followed the successful completion of a visual flight rules (VFR) cross country flying event. According to the chairperson of the U.S. Air race, inc., the event organizers terminated the daylight and vfr-only event early because weather conditions did not appear to permit a VFR flight to fdk. Several VFR aircraft landed short of fdk and drove the remaining distance. According to air traffic control records the pilot did not file a flight plan. An air traffic controller said, '...aircraft were canceling their [instrument flight rules] IFR either after landing or short final which caused other inbounds to hold or get delaying vectors.'. AIRMET sierra update number 5 issued at 1545, a ND was IFR and instrument approaches were in use. Examination of the airplane and engine did not disclose any evidence of mechanical malfunction. (-23) controlled flight into terrain after departure under VMC and proceeding into IMC without obtaining an IFR clearance.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)THE PILOT AND PILOT RATED PASSENGER (PRP) WERE EN ROUTE TO FREDERICK (FDK), MARYLAND, WHEN THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN 40 MILES FROM THE DESTINATION. SEVERAL WITNESSES NEAR THE CRASH SITE HEARD AN AIRPLANE OVERFLY THEIR HOMES AT A LOW ALTITUDE. THEY REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE WAS OPERATING AS IT FLEW OVERHEAD, THEN THEY HEARD THE ENGINE STOP FOLLOWED BY A 'THUD.' ACCORDING TO THE WITNESSES, IT WAS CLOUDY, AND THE FOG HAD COVERED THE TOPS OF THE 50 FOOT TALL TREES. THE FLIGHT FOLLOWED THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) CROSS COUNTRY FLYING EVENT. ACCORDING TO THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE U.S. AIR RACE, INC., THE EVENT ORGANIZERS TERMINATED THE DAYLIGHT AND VFR-ONLY EVENT EARLY BECAUSE WEATHER CONDITIONS DID NOT APPEAR TO PERMIT A VFR FLIGHT TO FDK. SEVERAL VFR AIRCRAFT LANDED SHORT OF FDK AND DROVE THE REMAINING DISTANCE. ACCORDING TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL RECORDS THE PILOT DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN. AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER SAID, '...AIRCRAFT WERE CANCELING THEIR [INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES] IFR EITHER AFTER LANDING OR SHORT FINAL WHICH CAUSED OTHER INBOUNDS TO HOLD OR GET DELAYING VECTORS.'. AIRMET SIERRA UPDATE NUMBER 5 ISSUED AT 1545, A ND WAS IFR AND INSTRUMENT APPROACHES WERE IN USE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE AND ENGINE DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. (-23) CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN AFTER DEPARTURE UNDER VMC AND PROCEEDING INTO IMC WITHOUT OBTAINING AN IFR CLEARANCE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.