What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)N69FL departed craig, FL (crg) VFR to brunswick ga (55J). Pilot contacted UNICOM at (55J) Fernandina bch FL and reported electrical failure using hand held radio. Pilot requested instructions on manually lowering landing gear. Pilot then made low pass over the runway on a downwind leg. He was observed to turn back toward the airport, stalled and crashed in a residential area. Aircraft impacted in a flat attitude with a high power setting. (.19) on November 28, 1998, at 1038 eastern standard time, a Beech 33-F33A, N69FL, impacted trees shortly after takeoff in Fernandina Beach, Florida. The airplane was operated by the private pilot under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a VFR flight plan was filed. The pilot sustained serious injuries and the passenger minor injuries, the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane departed craig field in jacksonville, Florida exact time unknown, enroute to brunswick, Georgia. According to the FAA, the aircraft was observed circling Fernandina Beach airport (55J). Air traffic control, (ATC) attempted to contact the aircraft with no results. The controller broadcasted that radar contact had been lost and immediately notified the supervisor of the situation. The supervisor contacted the fixed base operator and was informed that the pilot had experienced a complete electrical failure and had to hand crank the landing gear down. The pilot then made a low pass over the tower for a visual gear inspection and was returning for a landing when the accident occurred. (.4) after the flight departed the pilot attempted to use the radios, but discovered that there was a loss of electrical power. Air traffic controller, observed the airplane as it circled near the airport. The pilot used a walkie-talkie and established radio contact with a man who was knowledgeable of the airplane. With the assistance of the ground person the pilot hand-cranked the landing gear down. The pilot made a low pass over the airport for a visual gear inspection. According to a witness at the airport, it appeared that the landing gear was extended. He continued to observe the airplane as the pilot executed a tight left turn. The airplane disappeared below the trees on the upwind side of runway 08. The airplane collided with a tree and the ground in a residential area.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)N69FL DEPARTED CRAIG, FL (CRG) VFR TO BRUNSWICK GA (55J). PILOT CONTACTED UNICOM AT (55J) FERNANDINA BCH FL AND REPORTED ELECTRICAL FAILURE USING HAND HELD RADIO. PILOT REQUESTED INSTRUCTIONS ON MANUALLY LOWERING LANDING GEAR. PILOT THEN MADE LOW PASS OVER THE RUNWAY ON A DOWNWIND LEG. HE WAS OBSERVED TO TURN BACK TOWARD THE AIRPORT, STALLED AND CRASHED IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. AIRCRAFT IMPACTED IN A FLAT ATTITUDE WITH A HIGH POWER SETTING. (.19) ON NOVEMBER 28, 1998, AT 1038 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A BEECH 33-F33A, N69FL, IMPACTED TREES SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF IN FERNANDINA BEACH, FLORIDA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY THE PRIVATE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91, AND VISUAL FLIGHT RULES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES AND THE PASSENGER MINOR INJURIES, THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED CRAIG FIELD IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA EXACT TIME UNKNOWN, ENROUTE TO BRUNSWICK, GEORGIA. ACCORDING TO THE FAA, THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED CIRCLING FERNANDINA BEACH AIRPORT (55J). AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, (ATC) ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO RESULTS. THE CONTROLLER BROADCASTED THAT RADAR CONTACT HAD BEEN LOST AND IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED THE SUPERVISOR OF THE SITUATION. THE SUPERVISOR CONTACTED THE FIXED BASE OPERATOR AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PILOT HAD EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND HAD TO HAND CRANK THE LANDING GEAR DOWN. THE PILOT THEN MADE A LOW PASS OVER THE TOWER FOR A VISUAL GEAR INSPECTION AND WAS RETURNING FOR A LANDING WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. (.4) AFTER THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO USE THE RADIOS, BUT DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER, OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE AS IT CIRCLED NEAR THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT USED A WALKIE-TALKIE AND ESTABLISHED RADIO CONTACT WITH A MAN WHO WAS KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THE AIRPLANE. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE GROUND PERSON THE PILOT HAND-CRANKED THE LANDING GEAR DOWN. THE PILOT MADE A LOW PASS OVER THE AIRPORT FOR A VISUAL GEAR INSPECTION. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS AT THE AIRPORT, IT APPEARED THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED. HE CONTINUED TO OBSERVE THE AIRPLANE AS THE PILOT EXECUTED A TIGHT LEFT TURN. THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEARED BELOW THE TREES ON THE UPWIND SIDE OF RUNWAY 08. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A TREE AND THE GROUND IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.