What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed while on approach approx 1.5 miles southwest of the rwy. All 4 POB suffered fatal inj. (.19) on August 4, 1998, about 1345 mountain daylight time, a Socata TBM-700, N69BS, registered to a private individual, crashed while on downwind to the Spearfish/Black Hills airport near Spearfish, south dakota, while on a title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions were reported, and an IFR flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed. The private-rated pilot-in-command, a commercial-rated pilot/passenger, a private-rated pilot/passenger, and one passenger were fatally injured. The flight had originated at an unknown time, the same day, from lawrence, Massachusetts, en route to Spearfish, and had made a refueling stop at madison, Wisconsin. The flight departed madison at 1158 CDT (1058 MST). Witnesses observed the flight enter downwind for runway 30, after it had completed a published approach to runway 12, with a circle to land on runway 30. The witnesses, one of which was a commercial pilot said, that there were jagged ceilings at the time about 400 to 500 feet above the ground. He and two other men with him saw the airplane below the clouds. As the airplane proceeded downwind, it momentarily entered a cloud. As the airplane came out of the cloud, it turned left in about a 30 degree turn. The angle of bank increased to about 70 to 80 degrees, the tail of the airplane came up, and the airplane impacted the ground nose first. Several pilots at the airport heard someone from N69BS make radio transmissions on the UNICOM frequency. What was heard by several people was that N69BS had broken out at 2200 feet. They then heard, "N69BS turning base," immediately followed by "lookout" and "oh..." At the time of the accident the winds were reported to be calm, and the ceiling was at 2,200 feet. All of the eye witnesses agreed that at no time did they see or hear any problems with the engine. They all said that the sounds coming from the engine never changed. Witnesses reported mist and fog in the area. (-23) the aircraft was on downwind leg for the Spearfish runway 30. Accoring to witness statements the aircraft banked to 30 degrees and started to turn then the bank increased, the aircraft nose came down and the aircraft crashed. The witnesses also stated that the aircraft caught on fire when st riking the ground and then bounced or skipped a short distance and continued to burn.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED WHILE ON APPROACH APPROX 1.5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE RWY. ALL 4 POB SUFFERED FATAL INJ. (.19) ON AUGUST 4, 1998, ABOUT 1345 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A SOCATA TBM-700, N69BS, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, CRASHED WHILE ON DOWNWIND TO THE SPEARFISH/BLACK HILLS AIRPORT NEAR SPEARFISH, SOUTH DAKOTA, WHILE ON A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED, AND AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT-IN-COMMAND, A COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT/PASSENGER, A PRIVATE-RATED PILOT/PASSENGER, AND ONE PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT HAD ORIGINATED AT AN UNKNOWN TIME, THE SAME DAY, FROM LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS, EN ROUTE TO SPEARFISH, AND HAD MADE A REFUELING STOP AT MADISON, WISCONSIN. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED MADISON AT 1158 CDT (1058 MST). WITNESSES OBSERVED THE FLIGHT ENTER DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 30, AFTER IT HAD COMPLETED A PUBLISHED APPROACH TO RUNWAY 12, WITH A CIRCLE TO LAND ON RUNWAY 30. THE WITNESSES, ONE OF WHICH WAS A COMMERCIAL PILOT SAID, THAT THERE WERE JAGGED CEILINGS AT THE TIME ABOUT 400 TO 500 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. HE AND TWO OTHER MEN WITH HIM SAW THE AIRPLANE BELOW THE CLOUDS. AS THE AIRPLANE PROCEEDED DOWNWIND, IT MOMENTARILY ENTERED A CLOUD. AS THE AIRPLANE CAME OUT OF THE CLOUD, IT TURNED LEFT IN ABOUT A 30 DEGREE TURN. THE ANGLE OF BANK INCREASED TO ABOUT 70 TO 80 DEGREES, THE TAIL OF THE AIRPLANE CAME UP, AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND NOSE FIRST. SEVERAL PILOTS AT THE AIRPORT HEARD SOMEONE FROM N69BS MAKE RADIO TRANSMISSIONS ON THE UNICOM FREQUENCY. WHAT WAS HEARD BY SEVERAL PEOPLE WAS THAT N69BS HAD BROKEN OUT AT 2200 FEET. THEY THEN HEARD, "N69BS TURNING BASE," IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY "LOOKOUT" AND "OH..." AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE WINDS WERE REPORTED TO BE CALM, AND THE CEILING WAS AT 2,200 FEET. ALL OF THE EYE WITNESSES AGREED THAT AT NO TIME DID THEY SEE OR HEAR ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE. THEY ALL SAID THAT THE SOUNDS COMING FROM THE ENGINE NEVER CHANGED. WITNESSES REPORTED MIST AND FOG IN THE AREA. (-23) THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON DOWNWIND LEG FOR THE SPEARFISH RUNWAY 30. ACCORING TO WITNESS STATEMENTS THE AIRCRAFT BANKED TO 30 DEGREES AND STARTED TO TURN THEN THE BANK INCREASED, THE AIRCRAFT NOSE CAME DOWN AND THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED. THE WITNESSES ALSO STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT CAUGHT ON FIRE WHEN ST RIKING THE GROUND AND THEN BOUNCED OR SKIPPED A SHORT DISTANCE AND CONTINUED TO BURN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.