What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft was flying low, pulled up too late and hit side of a mountain. A Cessna N735JZ was returning from a hunting trip in cape girardeau Missouri enroute to carrolton Georgia on November 2, 1998. At approximately 5:15 pm. During the descent to carrolton Georgia the aircraft struck the tree tops and impacted the ground four miles southeast of piedmont al. The wreckage path was spread out approximately 200 feet along the dugger mountain. Upon impact the aircraft caught fire killing the pilot robert a. hollingsworth jr. and his son robert a. hollingsworth the third also a private pilot and their two hunting dogs. Thomas s. hollingsworth a private pilot and the rear seat occupant survived the accident with second degree burns to both arms and internal injuries to the abdomen. (.4) the flight was a 2-LEG cross-country from storm lake, Iowa, to carrollton, Georgia, with a stop for fuel at cape girardeau, Missouri. According to the survivor, deteriorating visibility from drizzle and sunset caused the pilot to begin a slow descent to maintain visual contact with the ground. The airplane collided with a mountain crest at about the 2,000-foot level. Postcrash examination of the airframe and engine, together with the private-rated pilot/rear seat passenger's statement revealed no malfunctions with the engine, aircraft control, flight instrument, or navigation systems. (-23) a Cessna N735JZ was returning from a hunting trip in cape girardeau Missouri enroute to carrolton Georgia on November 2, 1998. At approximately 5:15 pm during the descent to carrolton Georgia the aircraft struck the tree tops and impacted the ground four miles south east of piedmont al. The wreckage path was spread out approximately 200 feet along the dugger mountain. Upon impact the aircraft caught fire killing the pilot robert a. hollingsworth jr. and his son robert a. hollingsworth the third also a private pilot and their two hunting dogs. Thomas s. hollingsworth a private pilot and the rear seat occupant survived the accident with second degree burns to both arms and internal injuries to the abdomen. (.19) on November 2, 1998, about 1715, central standard time, a Cessna 182Q, N735JZ, registered to r. a. hollingsworth family, lllp, operating as a 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, crashed into a mountain top about 4 miles eas t of piedmont, Alabama, while in cruise flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed and the private-rated pilot and right seat copilot/passenger sustained fatal injuries. A rear seat passenger received serious injuries. The flight originated from cape girardeau, Missouri, about 2 hours 45 minutes before the accident. According to the survivor's statements, who walked from the crash site the next morning, the pilot was having to slowly descend to continue visual with the ground, the sun was just setting, and they simply flew into the mountain top. He stated there destination was carrolton, Georgia.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT WAS FLYING LOW, PULLED UP TOO LATE AND HIT SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN. A CESSNA N735JZ WAS RETURNING FROM A HUNTING TRIP IN CAPE GIRARDEAU MISSOURI ENROUTE TO CARROLTON GEORGIA ON NOVEMBER 2, 1998. AT APPROXIMATELY 5:15 PM.DURING THE DESCENT TO CARROLTON GEORGIA THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE TREE TOPS AND IMPACTED THE GROUND FOUR MILES SOUTHEAST OF PIEDMONT AL. THE WRECKAGE PATH WAS SPREAD OUT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET ALONG THE DUGGER MOUNTAIN. UPON IMPACT THE AIRCRAFT CAUGHT FIRE KILLING THE PILOT ROBERT A. HOLLINGSWORTH JR. AND HIS SON ROBERT A. HOLLINGSWORTH THE THIRD ALSO A PRIVATE PILOT AND THEIR TWO HUNTING DOGS. THOMAS S. HOLLINGSWORTH A PRIVATE PILOT AND THE REAR SEAT OCCUPANT SURVIVED THE ACCIDENT WITH SECOND DEGREE BURNS TO BOTH ARMS AND INTERNAL INJURIES TO THE ABDOMEN. (.4) THE FLIGHT WAS A 2-LEG CROSS-COUNTRY FROM STORM LAKE, IOWA, TO CARROLLTON, GEORGIA, WITH A STOP FOR FUEL AT CAPE GIRARDEAU, MISSOURI. ACCORDING TO THE SURVIVOR, DETERIORATING VISIBILITY FROM DRIZZLE AND SUNSET CAUSED THE PILOT TO BEGIN A SLOW DESCENT TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A MOUNTAIN CREST AT ABOUT THE 2,000-FOOT LEVEL. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE, TOGETHER WITH THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT/REAR SEAT PASSENGER'S STATEMENT REVEALED NO MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE ENGINE, AIRCRAFT CONTROL, FLIGHT INSTRUMENT, OR NAVIGATION SYSTEMS. (-23) A CESSNA N735JZ WAS RETURNING FROM A HUNTING TRIP IN CAPE GIRARDEAU MISSOURI ENROUTE TO CARROLTON GEORGIA ON NOVEMBER 2, 1998. AT APPROXIMATELY 5:15 PM DURING THE DESCENT TO CARROLTON GEORGIA THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE TREE TOPS AND IMPACTED THE GROUND FOUR MILES SOUTH EAST OF PIEDMONT AL. THE WRECKAGE PATH WAS SPREAD OUT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET ALONG THE DUGGER MOUNTAIN. UPON IMPACT THE AIRCRAFT CAUGHT FIRE KILLING THE PILOT ROBERT A. HOLLINGSWORTH JR. AND HIS SON ROBERT A. HOLLINGSWORTH THE THIRD ALSO A PRIVATE PILOT AND THEIR TWO HUNTING DOGS. THOMAS S. HOLLINGSWORTH A PRIVATE PILOT AND THE REAR SEAT OCCUPANT SURVIVED THE ACCIDENT WITH SECOND DEGREE BURNS TO BOTH ARMS AND INTERNAL INJURIES TO THE ABDOMEN. (.19) ON NOVEMBER 2, 1998, ABOUT 1715, CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 182Q, N735JZ, REGISTERED TO R. A. HOLLINGSWORTH FAMILY, LLLP, OPERATING AS A 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED INTO A MOUNTAIN TOP ABOUT 4 MILES EAS T OF PIEDMONT, ALABAMA, WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT AND RIGHT SEAT COPILOT/PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. A REAR SEAT PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM CAPE GIRARDEAU, MISSOURI, ABOUT 2 HOURS 45 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE SURVIVOR'S STATEMENTS, WHO WALKED FROM THE CRASH SITE THE NEXT MORNING, THE PILOT WAS HAVING TO SLOWLY DESCEND TO CONTINUE VISUAL WITH THE GROUND, THE SUN WAS JUST SETTING, AND THEY SIMPLY FLEW INTO THE MOUNTAIN TOP. HE STATED THERE DESTINATION WAS CARROLTON, GEORGIA.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.