What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
1943 Beechcraft AT-11 acft crashed under unknown circumstances and caught on fire, the 2 POB suffered fatal injuries, the acft was destroyed. (.19) on February 27, 1999, about 1010 eastern standard time, a Beech AT11/18, N65860, registered to a private individual, crashed shortly after takeoff from Peter o'Knight airport, Tampa, Florida, while on a title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions were reported, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed. The commercial-rated pilot-in-command, and a private-rated pilot/passenger were fatally injured. The flight was originating at the time, and was enroute to lakeland, Florida. Witnesses saw the airplane depart the airport to the south, turn left at an altitude of about 200 feet above the ground (AGL), fly downwind to the departure runway, and then turn right. The witnesses saw the angle of bank increase, and the airplane descend rapidly. The airplane was seen impacting on a four-lane hard surface road that ran north and south. The airplane was heading in an easterly direction, and impacted the road with the right wing and right engine. The airplane continued in an easterly direction; the nose struck the highway center median, the left wing struck a wooden power pole and lines, burst into flames and came to rest in marshy area on the eastside of the road.(.4) witnesses saw the airplane depart the airport to the south, turn left at an altitude of about 200 feet above the ground (AGL), fly downwind to the departure runway, climb to an altitude of about 800 to 1,000 feet, and then turn right. A witness, who was operating a crane near the crash site said, he saw the airplane approaching from the south heading towards the north, turn to the right (east), and flew directly over him. He told police officers that he could see both propellers `spinning,' and could `actually see the pilot flying the plane.' The witness said, `...[the] motor sounded fine...[and the airplane] took a sharp downward fall, hit the road and bounced in the air, then fire started...' Other witnesses said they saw the angle of bank increase, the airplane descend rapidly, impact on a four-lane hard surface road right wing first, strike a wooden power pole, burst into flames, and come to rest in marshy area on the eastside of the road. Examination of the airframe, engine and propeller revealed no discrepancies. (-23)on February 27, 1999, at 0950 EST, a Beech AT-11, N65860, serial no. 1452 crashed and burned shortly after takeoff. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was destroyed.
As the FAA filed it
1943 BEECHCRAFT AT-11 ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES AND CAUGHT ON FIRE, THE 2 POB SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED. (.19) ON FEBRUARY 27, 1999, ABOUT 1010 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A BEECH AT11/18, N65860, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, CRASHED SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM PETER O'KNIGHT AIRPORT, TAMPA, FLORIDA, WHILE ON A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT-IN-COMMAND, AND A PRIVATE-RATED PILOT/PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME, AND WAS ENROUTE TO LAKELAND, FLORIDA. WITNESSES SAW THE AIRPLANE DEPART THE AIRPORT TO THE SOUTH, TURN LEFT AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND (AGL), FLY DOWNWIND TO THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY, AND THEN TURN RIGHT. THE WITNESSES SAW THE ANGLE OF BANK INCREASE, AND THE AIRPLANE DESCEND RAPIDLY. THE AIRPLANE WAS SEEN IMPACTING ON A FOUR-LANE HARD SURFACE ROAD THAT RAN NORTH AND SOUTH. THE AIRPLANE WAS HEADING IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION, AND IMPACTED THE ROAD WITH THE RIGHT WING AND RIGHT ENGINE. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION; THE NOSE STRUCK THE HIGHWAY CENTER MEDIAN, THE LEFT WING STRUCK A WOODEN POWER POLE AND LINES, BURST INTO FLAMES AND CAME TO REST IN MARSHY AREA ON THE EASTSIDE OF THE ROAD.(.4) WITNESSES SAW THE AIRPLANE DEPART THE AIRPORT TO THE SOUTH, TURN LEFT AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND (AGL), FLY DOWNWIND TO THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY, CLIMB TO AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 800 TO 1,000 FEET, AND THEN TURN RIGHT. A WITNESS, WHO WAS OPERATING A CRANE NEAR THE CRASH SITE SAID, HE SAW THE AIRPLANE APPROACHING FROM THE SOUTH HEADING TOWARDS THE NORTH, TURN TO THE RIGHT (EAST), AND FLEW DIRECTLY OVER HIM. HE TOLD POLICE OFFICERS THAT HE COULD SEE BOTH PROPELLERS `SPINNING,' AND COULD `ACTUALLY SEE THE PILOT FLYING THE PLANE.' THE WITNESS SAID, `...[THE] MOTOR SOUNDED FINE...[AND THE AIRPLANE] TOOK A SHARP DOWNWARD FALL, HIT THE ROAD AND BOUNCED IN THE AIR, THEN FIRE STARTED...' OTHER WITNESSES SAID THEY SAW THE ANGLE OF BANK INCREASE, THE AIRPLANE DESCEND RAPIDLY, IMPACT ON A FOUR-LANE HARD SURFACE ROAD RIGHT WING FIRST, STRIKE A WOODEN POWER POLE, BURST INTO FLAMES, AND COME TO REST IN MARSHY AREA ON THE EASTSIDE OF THE ROAD. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME, ENGINE AND PROPELLER REVEALED NO DISCREPANCIES. (-23)ON FEBRUARY 27, 1999, AT 0950 EST, A BEECH AT-11, N65860, SERIAL NO. 1452 CRASHED AND BURNED SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.