19991211037099A

(.19) On December 11, 1999, about 1550 central standard time, a Cessna U-3A, N8063X, registered to a private individual, crashed into a field near Brooksville, Mississippi. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The airplane was destroyed and the airline transport-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The time of departure from the moore-murrell airport, morristown, Tennessee, has not been determined. According to several witnesses, the weather conditions about the time of the accident near the accident site was clear. A witness who was located approximately 3 miles north of the accident site reported hearing the airplane pass over and that the airplane sounded loud. She never saw the airplane though she thought it was traveling south. As the airplane got FAR away, she then heard popping sounds which continued for approximately 5 seconds. According to a pilot-rated witness who was located approximately 1.25 miles north of the accident site, he was outside with his son who is familiar with airplanes. His son heard the airplane initially then observed the airplane flying south; no discrepancies were noted at that time. He then heard what sounded as if the throttles were reduced and then observed that the nose of the airplane pitch up. The airplane then banked to the right and entered a spin. The pilot-rated witness observed at that time the airplane in a "spiral" to the right; the airplane was at approximately 2,500 feet. He then heard the engines "rev up" what appeared to be wide open and the father observed the airplane complete 2 revolutions in what was described as a "positive g" turn. The father then observed the airplane in steep descent and the angle of descent began to decrease. He then lost sight of the airplane behind obstructions and observed a fireball. Witness who owns the property where the airplane crashed was outside and heard the engine(s) "rev up." He noticed that the airplane was descending nearly vertical and noted an object that appeared to be 2 feet by 4 feet separate. The engines sounded like they were at full throttle and he observed that the nose of the airplane began to pitch up just before impact with the ground. (-23) while enroute near Brooksville, Mississippi, the aircraft was observed by witnesses when a sound of an engine power reduction was heard, then it was observed to reduce airspeed, the nose pitch up, the aircraft roll to the right, the nose to pitch down, engine power increase and then entering what appeared to be a spin or spiral by a pilot witness. According to witnesses, the aircraft appeared to be near recovery when it struck the ground in a steep nose down attitude. Witnesses reported an explosion and fire after impact. The pilot was fatally injured. The grass area surrounding the aircraft was burned with charing of some of the aircraft structure. (.4) on December 11, 1999, about 1550 central standard time (all times central standard time), a Cessna U-3A, N8063X, registered to a private individual, crashed into a field near Brooksville, Mississippi. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The airplane was destroyed and the airline transport-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight originated about 1335, from the moore-murrell airport, morristown, Tennessee. According to several witnesses, clear weather conditions existed about the time of the accident near the accident site. A witness who was located approximately 3 miles north of the accident site reported hearing the airplane pass over; the noise was loud. She never saw the airplane though she thought it was traveling south. As the airplane got FAR away, she then heard popping sounds that continued for approximately 5 seconds. A witness who is familiar with aviation and was located approximately 1.25 miles north of the accident site reported that he looked up after hearing the airplane and it appeared to decelerate. He reported that the airplane then "stalled" and spun 5 or 6 times then recovered "with the engines running wide open...." The airplane then disappeared behind trees. According to the witnesses' father who is a pilot, his son alerted him to look at the airplane. The father reported that he estimated the airplane was at 2,000 feet above ground level (AGL), in a "...nose down spiral at "full throttle. After about two more turns the aircraft quit spinning (spiraling) and continued straight down at full throttle for another 4-500 feet after which it started pulling out of I ts dive." He reported that the airplane disappeared behind a tree line and "we saw a huge ball of fire & heard the rumble of the explosion & impact. The engines both sounded strong up to the point of impact." Copies of the witness statements are attachments to this report. A witness who owns the property where the airplane crashed was outside and heard the engine(s) "rev up." He first noticed that the airplane was descending nearly vertical and noted an object that appeared to be 2 feet by 4 feet separate. The engines sounded like they were at full throttle and he observed that the nose of the airplane began to pitch up just before impact with the ground. The witness observed a fireball after the ground impact. A copy of the witness statement is an attachment to this report.