What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-4) The pilot transmitted that he was encountering 'pretty bad' clear air turbulence at his assigned altitude and requested a lower altitude from the military approach radar controller. The controller gave the pilot a turn because of conflicting traffic, and while in the turn the pilot transmitted that turbulence was now 'severe'. He made another garbled transmission that sounded as if he was saying, 'headed down' or 'going down'. He disappeared from the radar scope and the wreckage was found later, having impacted the ground on a tree preserve about 13 miles northeast of the savannah VOR. No evidence of any precrash failure or malfunction could be found with the airplane's engine or airframe, or their components.
As the FAA filed it
(-4) THE PILOT TRANSMITTED THAT HE WAS ENCOUNTERING 'PRETTY BAD' CLEAR AIR TURBULENCE AT HIS ASSIGNED ALTITUDE AND REQUESTED A LOWER ALTITUDE FROM THE MILITARY APPROACH RADAR CONTROLLER. THE CONTROLLER GAVE THE PILOT A TURN BECAUSE OF CONFLICTING TRAFFIC, AND WHILE IN THE TURN THE PILOT TRANSMITTED THAT TURBULENCE WAS NOW 'SEVERE'. HE MADE ANOTHER GARBLED TRANSMISSION THAT SOUNDED AS IF HE WAS SAYING, 'HEADED DOWN' OR 'GOING DOWN'. HE DISAPPEARED FROM THE RADAR SCOPE AND THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND LATER, HAVING IMPACTED THE GROUND ON A TREE PRESERVE ABOUT 13 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE SAVANNAH VOR. NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PRECRASH FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION COULD BE FOUND WITH THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE OR AIRFRAME, OR THEIR COMPONENTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.