What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On September 25, 1999, at 1100 central daylight time, a north American SNJ-5, N23ZH, collided with a tree and the ground, and burst into flames in a residential area of downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The personal flight was operated by the pilot under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was destroyed. The private pilot and the passenger/pilot were fatally injured. The flights' exact departure time from the Nashville international airport was not determined. According to a friend of the pilot, the pilot and the passenger/pilot departed Nashville to fly around the local area. Several eyewitnesses reported observing the airplane flying over the city prior to the accident. One witness reported that the airplane entered a nose low attitude, rolled inverted, and disappreared behind buildings. A witness near the accident site observed the airplane as it collided with a tree in the immediate vicinity of the accident site. Examination of the accident site revealed that wreckage debris was scattered over an area approximately 200 feet long and 35 feet wide. The wreckage path was oriented on a 210 degree magnetic heading. Examination of the wreckage path also disclosed that the right wing assembly was on the left side of the wreckage path, and the left wing assembly was on the right side of the wreckage path. Both wings were lodge in the top of the tree about 25 feet above the ground. The main wreckage rested against the outer wall of a single level office building. Several residential homes were in the immediate vicinity of the accident site. (.4) the airplane was seen by several eyewitnesses in the immediate vicinity of the accident site and flying over the city between 1000 and 800 feet above the ground. One witness reported that the airplane entered a nose low attitude, rolled inverted, and disappeared behind buildings. A witness near the accident site observed the airplane as it collided with a tree. Examination of the airframe and engine assemblies failed to disclose a mechanical malfunction or a component failure. The toxicological examinations for drugs disclosed that benzoylecgonine was detected in both the blood and liver specimens. There were 0.073 ug/ml, ug/g and 0.327 ug/ml of chlorpheniramine detected in the blood and liver specimens resp ectively. Benzoylecgonine is an inactive metabolite of cocaine. Chlorpheniramine is an antihistamine, commonly used in over-the-counter cold/allergy preparations.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON SEPTEMBER 25, 1999, AT 1100 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A NORTH AMERICAN SNJ-5, N23ZH, COLLIDED WITH A TREE AND THE GROUND, AND BURST INTO FLAMES IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA OF DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WITH NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED. VISUAL WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND THE PASSENGER/PILOT WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHTS' EXACT DEPARTURE TIME FROM THE NASHVILLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WAS NOT DETERMINED. ACCORDING TO A FRIEND OF THE PILOT, THE PILOT AND THE PASSENGER/PILOT DEPARTED NASHVILLE TO FLY AROUND THE LOCAL AREA. SEVERAL EYEWITNESSES REPORTED OBSERVING THE AIRPLANE FLYING OVER THE CITY PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ONE WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE, ROLLED INVERTED, AND DISAPPREARED BEHIND BUILDINGS. A WITNESS NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE AS IT COLLIDED WITH A TREE IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED THAT WRECKAGE DEBRIS WAS SCATTERED OVER AN AREA APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET LONG AND 35 FEET WIDE. THE WRECKAGE PATH WAS ORIENTED ON A 210 DEGREE MAGNETIC HEADING. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE PATH ALSO DISCLOSED THAT THE RIGHT WING ASSEMBLY WAS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE WRECKAGE PATH, AND THE LEFT WING ASSEMBLY WAS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE WRECKAGE PATH. BOTH WINGS WERE LODGE IN THE TOP OF THE TREE ABOUT 25 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE MAIN WRECKAGE RESTED AGAINST THE OUTER WALL OF A SINGLE LEVEL OFFICE BUILDING. SEVERAL RESIDENTIAL HOMES WERE IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. (.4) THE AIRPLANE WAS SEEN BY SEVERAL EYEWITNESSES IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE ACCIDENT SITE AND FLYING OVER THE CITY BETWEEN 1000 AND 800 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. ONE WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE, ROLLED INVERTED, AND DISAPPEARED BEHIND BUILDINGS. A WITNESS NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE AS IT COLLIDED WITH A TREE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE ASSEMBLIES FAILED TO DISCLOSE A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR A COMPONENT FAILURE. THE TOXICOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS FOR DRUGS DISCLOSED THAT BENZOYLECGONINE WAS DETECTED IN BOTH THE BLOOD AND LIVER SPECIMENS. THERE WERE 0.073 UG/ML, UG/G AND 0.327 UG/ML OF CHLORPHENIRAMINE DETECTED IN THE BLOOD AND LIVER SPECIMENS RESP ECTIVELY. BENZOYLECGONINE IS AN INACTIVE METABOLITE OF COCAINE. CHLORPHENIRAMINE IS AN ANTIHISTAMINE, COMMONLY USED IN OVER-THE-COUNTER COLD/ALLERGY PREPARATIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.