What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed under unknown circumstances. (.19)on October 14, 1998, about 1322 central daylight time, a Ryan ST3KR, N59514, operating as a 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, registered to a private owner, crashed while maneuvering in the vicinity of Rossville, Tennessee. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airline transport pilot and airline transport pilot-rated passenger sustained serious injuries and were air lifted to a medical trauma center. The flight originated from wolf river airport, Rossville, Tennessee, about 22 minutes before the accident. The FAA reported the pilot-rated passenger died of injuries on October 15, 1998. A witness stated he observed the airplane flying from north to south towards the wolf river airport. The airplane was between 500 to 600 feet at a very slow airspeed. The airplane was observed to start a right turn towards the west, and stopped the turn heading northbound. The airplane started a steep climb estimated between 85 to 90 degrees nose up, as if the pilot was practicing a stall. The airplane was observed to start sliding backwards tail first. The nose pitched straight down, the airplane started spinning to the right, and disappeared below the tree line, before colliding with trees and terrain. (-23) according to an eyewitness, the aircraft was circling at a low altitude when it began a steep climb (almost 90 degrees). The a/c began to slide backwards (as a stall), then nosed over and began a spin into the ground. The witness lost sight of it below the trees, then heard a loud crash.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. (.19)ON OCTOBER 14, 1998, ABOUT 1322 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A RYAN ST3KR, N59514, OPERATING AS A 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE OWNER, CRASHED WHILE MANEUVERING IN THE VICINITY OF ROSSVILLE, TENNESSEE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT AND AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT-RATED PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES AND WERE AIR LIFTED TO A MEDICAL TRAUMA CENTER. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM WOLF RIVER AIRPORT, ROSSVILLE, TENNESSEE, ABOUT 22 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE FAA REPORTED THE PILOT-RATED PASSENGER DIED OF INJURIES ON OCTOBER 15, 1998. A WITNESS STATED HE OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE FLYING FROM NORTH TO SOUTH TOWARDS THE WOLF RIVER AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE WAS BETWEEN 500 TO 600 FEET AT A VERY SLOW AIRSPEED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO START A RIGHT TURN TOWARDS THE WEST, AND STOPPED THE TURN HEADING NORTHBOUND. THE AIRPLANE STARTED A STEEP CLIMB ESTIMATED BETWEEN 85 TO 90 DEGREES NOSE UP, AS IF THE PILOT WAS PRACTICING A STALL. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO START SLIDING BACKWARDS TAIL FIRST. THE NOSE PITCHED STRAIGHT DOWN, THE AIRPLANE STARTED SPINNING TO THE RIGHT, AND DISAPPEARED BELOW THE TREE LINE, BEFORE COLLIDING WITH TREES AND TERRAIN. (-23) ACCORDING TO AN EYEWITNESS, THE AIRCRAFT WAS CIRCLING AT A LOW ALTITUDE WHEN IT BEGAN A STEEP CLIMB (ALMOST 90 DEGREES). THE A/C BEGAN TO SLIDE BACKWARDS (AS A STALL), THEN NOSED OVER AND BEGAN A SPIN INTO THE GROUND. THE WITNESS LOST SIGHT OF IT BELOW THE TREES, THEN HEARD A LOUD CRASH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.