What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot received weather brief the morning of accident but failed to call back for updates to briefing. Pilot ask for weather from birmingham, AL. To chattanooga,TN. Pilot departed bessemer airport (eky) prior to accident and flew a/c into trees on top of mountain ridge which was reported to be in the low cloud layer. Student pilot cross country endorsement had expired(.4) on December 8, 1999, about 1717 central standard time, a Piper PA-32RT-300T, N39696, registered to a private individual, operating as a title 14 part 91 personal flight, crashed while maneuvering near Pelham, Alabama. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed and the student pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. The flight departed bessemer airport, bessemer, Alabama, at an unknown time. According to an eyewitness, an FAA licensed pilot, at between 1715 and 1720HE heard the airplane fly overhead his residence at a "much too low" altitude and at an "over revved" power setting on an easterly heading in a the airplane fly overhead his residence at a "much too low" attitude and at an "over revved" power setting on an easterly heading in a descent. As he ran onto his back porch, he noted the weather had deteriorated with fog and drizzle, and the ridge line east of his house was becoming obscured. He and his wife heard an impact, and saw the glow of a fire near the ridge line. He immediately called 911. He stated he heard no sounds of engine instability or malfunction. Other witness statements recounted that the engine sounds were of a smootly running engine. See witness reports, attachments to this report.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT RECEIVED WEATHER BRIEF THE MORNING OF ACCIDENT BUT FAILED TO CALL BACK FOR UPDATES TO BRIEFING. PILOT ASK FOR WEATHER FROM BIRMINGHAM, AL. TO CHATTANOOGA,TN. PILOT DEPARTED BESSEMER AIRPORT (EKY) PRIOR TO ACCIDENT AND FLEW A/C INTO TREES ON TOP OF MOUNTAIN RIDGE WHICH WAS REPORTED TO BE IN THE LOW CLOUD LAYER. STUDENT PILOT CROSS COUNTRY ENDORSEMENT HAD EXPIRED(.4) ON DECEMBER 8, 1999, ABOUT 1717 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-32RT-300T, N39696, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR PELHAM, ALABAMA. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED AND THE STUDENT PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED BESSEMER AIRPORT, BESSEMER, ALABAMA, AT AN UNKNOWN TIME. ACCORDING TO AN EYEWITNESS, AN FAA LICENSED PILOT, AT BETWEEN 1715 AND 1720HE HEARD THE AIRPLANE FLY OVERHEAD HIS RESIDENCE AT A "MUCH TOO LOW" ALTITUDE AND AT AN "OVER REVVED" POWER SETTING ON AN EASTERLY HEADING IN A THE AIRPLANE FLY OVERHEAD HIS RESIDENCE AT A "MUCH TOO LOW" ATTITUDE AND AT AN "OVER REVVED" POWER SETTING ON AN EASTERLY HEADING IN A DESCENT. AS HE RAN ONTO HIS BACK PORCH, HE NOTED THE WEATHER HAD DETERIORATED WITH FOG AND DRIZZLE, AND THE RIDGE LINE EAST OF HIS HOUSE WAS BECOMING OBSCURED. HE AND HIS WIFE HEARD AN IMPACT, AND SAW THE GLOW OF A FIRE NEAR THE RIDGE LINE.HE IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911. HE STATED HE HEARD NO SOUNDS OF ENGINE INSTABILITY OR MALFUNCTION. OTHER WITNESS STATEMENTS RECOUNTED THAT THE ENGINE SOUNDS WERE OF A SMOOTLY RUNNING ENGINE. SEE WITNESS REPORTS, ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REPORT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.