What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On January 8, 2000, at 1445 eastern standard time, a Beech 23, N2336Z, collided with trees and subsequently the ground, and burst into flames while maneuvering for an emergency landing following a reported loss of engine power near Macon, Georgia. 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, and the private pilot and his passenger received fatal injuries. The flight departed the Herbert Smart airport in Macon, Georgia, at 1443. According to witnesses located at the departure airport, the two pilots were last seen at the ready line for an east departure at the departure airport. No further visual contact was observed until the airplane was next seen colliding with trees about one mile east of the airport. According to the witnesses, the engine was heard sputtering, followed by the in-flight collision with 100-foot trees. During the collision, the right outboard wing panel was torn from the airframe; the witnesses observed the airplane as it started a free-fall to the ground. The airplane impacted the ground and b urst into flames. Examination of the accident site disclosed that wreckage debris was scattered over an area 120 feet long and 40 feet wide. The main wreckage rested 120 feet east of the freshly broken tree branches. The right outboard wing panel rested 116 feet west of the main wreckage. Further examination of the airplane wreckage revealed that the nose and center sections of the airframe sustained heavy fire damage. (-23) the airplane departed from the Herbert Smart airport during VMC conditions. The a/c lost power, with 1 mile of the airport. In an attempt to land the airplane in a clearing, the pilot impacted the top of a large tree and sheared off the right wing. The a/c spun around one and one half times and imapcted the ground. An immediate post crash fire consumed most of the a/c. the pilot and passenger did not survive the fire.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JANUARY 8, 2000, AT 1445 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A BEECH 23, N2336Z, COLLIDED WITH TREES AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE GROUND, AND BURST INTO FLAMES WHILE MANEUVERING FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING FOLLOWING A REPORTED LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR MACON, GEORGIA. 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, AND THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE HERBERT SMART AIRPORT IN MACON, GEORGIA, AT 1443. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES LOCATED AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT, THE TWO PILOTS WERE LAST SEEN AT THE READY LINE FOR AN EAST DEPARTURE AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. NO FURTHER VISUAL CONTACT WAS OBSERVED UNTIL THE AIRPLANE WAS NEXT SEEN COLLIDING WITH TREES ABOUT ONE MILE EAST OF THE AIRPORT. ACCORDING TO THE WITNESSES, THE ENGINE WAS HEARD SPUTTERING, FOLLOWED BY THE IN-FLIGHT COLLISION WITH 100-FOOT TREES. DURING THE COLLISION, THE RIGHT OUTBOARD WING PANEL WAS TORN FROM THE AIRFRAME; THE WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE AS IT STARTED A FREE-FALL TO THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND AND B URST INTO FLAMES. EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE DISCLOSED THAT WRECKAGE DEBRIS WAS SCATTERED OVER AN AREA 120 FEET LONG AND 40 FEET WIDE. THE MAIN WRECKAGE RESTED 120 FEET EAST OF THE FRESHLY BROKEN TREE BRANCHES. THE RIGHT OUTBOARD WING PANEL RESTED 116 FEET WEST OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE NOSE AND CENTER SECTIONS OF THE AIRFRAME SUSTAINED HEAVY FIRE DAMAGE. (-23) THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED FROM THE HERBERT SMART AIRPORT DURING VMC CONDITIONS. THE A/C LOST POWER, WITH 1 MILE OF THE AIRPORT. IN AN ATTEMPT TO LAND THE AIRPLANE IN A CLEARING, THE PILOT IMPACTED THE TOP OF A LARGE TREE AND SHEARED OFF THE RIGHT WING. THE A/C SPUN AROUND ONE AND ONE HALF TIMES AND IMAPCTED THE GROUND. AN IMMEDIATE POST CRASH FIRE CONSUMED MOST OF THE A/C. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER DID NOT SURVIVE THE FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.