What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot reported having eng problems and was returning to arpt. Attempted to make emer landing in a open field. (.4) while in radio and radar contact with FAA greenville/spartanburg's departure control, climbing through 7,900 feet MSL, to an assigned altitude of 9,500 feet MSL, about 30 miles northwest of the greenville/spartanburg airport, the pilot radioed that she had a very rough running engine and wanted vectors to the nearest airport. The controller supplied vectors to within 7 miles of the nearest airport, at which time the pilot chose a farmers field for a forced landing. The airplane collided with two pine trees within a stand of pines about 40 feet above ground, in a relatively flat, wings level, upright attitude. The airplane continued airborne for about 310 feet over a relatively clear field and then impact dense brush and 8- to 12-foot trees in an inverted attitude. Subsequent disassembly and examination of the engine and its associated components revealed no cause for the rough running engine. A finding of 0.056 ug/ml (ug/g) diphenhydramine (antihistamine) was reported in the toxicological evaluation of the pilot's blood and urine. (-23) on 06/22/98 at 1100 local time, N2709W, a Mooney M-20E, hit the tops of two pine trees and crashed inverted into a wooded area. The pilot was attempting to make an emergency landing in an adjacent field after reporting engine failure. The aircraft was destroyed and the private pilot was killed. Two teenage passengers sustained minor injuries. The flight originated at 7A1 for moorestown, TN. The reported engine failure was about 20-30 minutes after departure.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT REPORTED HAVING ENG PROBLEMS AND WAS RETURNING TO ARPT. ATTEMPTED TO MAKE EMER LANDING IN A OPEN FIELD. (.4) WHILE IN RADIO AND RADAR CONTACT WITH FAA GREENVILLE/SPARTANBURG'S DEPARTURE CONTROL, CLIMBING THROUGH 7,900 FEET MSL, TO AN ASSIGNED ALTITUDE OF 9,500 FEET MSL, ABOUT 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE GREENVILLE/SPARTANBURG AIRPORT, THE PILOT RADIOED THAT SHE HAD A VERY ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE AND WANTED VECTORS TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT. THE CONTROLLER SUPPLIED VECTORS TO WITHIN 7 MILES OF THE NEAREST AIRPORT, AT WHICH TIME THE PILOT CHOSE A FARMERS FIELD FOR A FORCED LANDING. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TWO PINE TREES WITHIN A STAND OF PINES ABOUT 40 FEET ABOVE GROUND, IN A RELATIVELY FLAT, WINGS LEVEL, UPRIGHT ATTITUDE. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED AIRBORNE FOR ABOUT 310 FEET OVER A RELATIVELY CLEAR FIELD AND THEN IMPACT DENSE BRUSH AND 8- TO 12-FOOT TREES IN AN INVERTED ATTITUDE. SUBSEQUENT DISASSEMBLY AND EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE AND ITS ASSOCIATED COMPONENTS REVEALED NO CAUSE FOR THE ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE. A FINDING OF 0.056 UG/ML (UG/G) DIPHENHYDRAMINE (ANTIHISTAMINE) WAS REPORTED IN THE TOXICOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF THE PILOT'S BLOOD AND URINE. (-23) ON 06/22/98 AT 1100 LOCAL TIME, N2709W, A MOONEY M-20E, HIT THE TOPS OF TWO PINE TREES AND CRASHED INVERTED INTO A WOODED AREA. THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN AN ADJACENT FIELD AFTER REPORTING ENGINE FAILURE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS KILLED. TWO TEENAGE PASSENGERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT 7A1 FOR MOORESTOWN, TN. THE REPORTED ENGINE FAILURE WAS ABOUT 20-30 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.