What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed into trees approximately 1 mile west of the arpt after performing a touch and go landing, the 2 POB suffered fatal injuries, the acft was destroyed, other circumstances are unknown. (.19) on July 9, 1999, at 1722 central daylight time (CDT), a Piper PA-24-250, N7314P, operated by an airline transport pilot, was destroyed when while maneuvering 1 mile west-southwest of the Fertile airport, Fertile, Minnesota, the airplane struck some trees and subsequently impacted the terrain. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The instructional flight was being conducted under 14 CFR part 91. No flight plan was on file. The flight instructor and dual student were fatally injured. The local flight originated at Fertile, Minnesota, at 1645 CDT. Several witnesses saw the airplane in the vicinity of the Fertile airport. One witness said he was approximately 1/2 mile from the airplane when he saw it traveling from north to south. The witness noted that the airplane was "just above the tree line going slow." The witness then said that the airplane "went below the tree line." Another witness working in a field just west of the accident site, said he saw the airplane come up out of the airport and turn to the south. He said he saw the airplane initiate a steep banked turn to the left just over the trees. The witness said he looked away momentarily to continue his work. When his attention turned back to the area where he saw the airplane, the witness said the airplane was gone. The airport manager said that when he returned to his home located just across the road from the Fertile airport, he heard an emergency locator transmitter signal going off over his scanner. He said that he immediately went to the airport and checked the airplanes on the ramp. It was 1730 CDT. The airport manager said that he and a Fertile police officer began searching the area nearby the airport. He sighted the airplane from a dirt road, resting in a wooded area, a short time later. (-23)aircraft departed rwy 32 on a training flight. Witness said aircraft appeared to have some type of problem on takeoff and was attempting to return to the airport. Aircraft hit tops of trees and crashed into a forest about 1 mile from the departure point of the runway. Both occupants received fatal injuries. This data will be amended as further results are received
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED INTO TREES APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE WEST OF THE ARPT AFTER PERFORMING A TOUCH AND GO LANDING, THE 2 POB SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON JULY 9, 1999, AT 1722 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME (CDT), A PIPER PA-24-250, N7314P, OPERATED BY AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT, WAS DESTROYED WHEN WHILE MANEUVERING 1 MILE WEST-SOUTHWEST OF THE FERTILE AIRPORT, FERTILE, MINNESOTA, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK SOME TREES AND SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED THE TERRAIN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS ON FILE. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND DUAL STUDENT WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT FERTILE, MINNESOTA, AT 1645 CDT. SEVERAL WITNESSES SAW THE AIRPLANE IN THE VICINITY OF THE FERTILE AIRPORT. ONE WITNESS SAID HE WAS APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE FROM THE AIRPLANE WHEN HE SAW IT TRAVELING FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. THE WITNESS NOTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS "JUST ABOVE THE TREE LINE GOING SLOW." THE WITNESS THEN SAID THAT THE AIRPLANE "WENT BELOW THE TREE LINE." ANOTHER WITNESS WORKING IN A FIELD JUST WEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, SAID HE SAW THE AIRPLANE COME UP OUT OF THE AIRPORT AND TURN TO THE SOUTH. HE SAID HE SAW THE AIRPLANE INITIATE A STEEP BANKED TURN TO THE LEFT JUST OVER THE TREES. THE WITNESS SAID HE LOOKED AWAY MOMENTARILY TO CONTINUE HIS WORK. WHEN HIS ATTENTION TURNED BACK TO THE AREA WHERE HE SAW THE AIRPLANE, THE WITNESS SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS GONE. THE AIRPORT MANAGER SAID THAT WHEN HE RETURNED TO HIS HOME LOCATED JUST ACROSS THE ROAD FROM THE FERTILE AIRPORT, HE HEARD AN EMERGENCY LOCATOR TRANSMITTER SIGNAL GOING OFF OVER HIS SCANNER. HE SAID THAT HE IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE AIRPORT AND CHECKED THE AIRPLANES ON THE RAMP. IT WAS 1730 CDT. THE AIRPORT MANAGER SAID THAT HE AND A FERTILE POLICE OFFICER BEGAN SEARCHING THE AREA NEARBY THE AIRPORT. HE SIGHTED THE AIRPLANE FROM A DIRT ROAD, RESTING IN A WOODED AREA, A SHORT TIME LATER. (-23)AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RWY 32 ON A TRAINING FLIGHT. WITNESS SAID AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF PROBLEM ON TAKEOFF AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. AIRCRAFT HIT TOPS OF TREES AND CRASHED INTO A FOREST ABOUT 1 MILE FROM THE DEPARTURE POINT OF THE RUNWAY. BOTH OCCUPANTS RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THIS DATA WILL BE AMENDED AS FURTHER RESULTS ARE RECEIVED
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.