What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)There was no record of a weather briefing or flight plan for the accident pilot or airplane with any flight service station. The pilot departed parkersburg, west Virginia, and intended to fly to saint petersburg, Florida. About 15 minutes before the accident, a witness observed the pilot flying about 800 feet above the ground, in the vicinity of snow showers, near mountainous terrain. Witnesses that resided near the accident site reported seeing snow showers throughout the day. They heard an airplane make two passes overhead, an engine revved to full power, then silence. The reported ceiling at an airport approximately 20 miles from the accident site was 600 feet overcast. (-23)witnesses in the area reported hearing a low-flying aircraft with a sputtering engine. Some of the witnesses reported hearing the aircraft impact the terrain. The aircraft had departed pkb about 1000 local, with an ultimate destination of spg (planned intermediate stops are unknown). No flight plan was filed and there is no record of a weather briefing. Weather conditions at hts, approximately 18 NM NE, were ceiling variable 400 to 900 overcast, visibility 10, wind 330/06, temp -4C, dewpoint -6C. Conditions were conductive to carburetor icing, and occasional severe mixed icing conditions were forecasted in cloud and in precipitation. The aircraft collided with a ridge terrain at N38-18 W82-52. The 165 foot debris path oriented on a 065 degree heading. A strong odor of fuel was present at the site. The wreckage suggests that the aircraft entered the trees and struck the ground nose low and right wing low, indicating low altitude stall and incipient spin entry. The engine was rotating at impact, with little or no power. Prop and alternator to be examined further.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)THERE WAS NO RECORD OF A WEATHER BRIEFING OR FLIGHT PLAN FOR THE ACCIDENT PILOT OR AIRPLANE WITH ANY FLIGHT SERVICE STATION. THE PILOT DEPARTED PARKERSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA, AND INTENDED TO FLY TO SAINT PETERSBURG, FLORIDA. ABOUT 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, A WITNESS OBSERVED THE PILOT FLYING ABOUT 800 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, IN THE VICINITY OF SNOW SHOWERS, NEAR MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. WITNESSES THAT RESIDED NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED SEEING SNOW SHOWERS THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THEY HEARD AN AIRPLANE MAKE TWO PASSES OVERHEAD, AN ENGINE REVVED TO FULL POWER, THEN SILENCE. THE REPORTED CEILING AT AN AIRPORT APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS 600 FEET OVERCAST. (-23)WITNESSES IN THE AREA REPORTED HEARING A LOW-FLYING AIRCRAFT WITH A SPUTTERING ENGINE. SOME OF THE WITNESSES REPORTED HEARING THE AIRCRAFT IMPACT THE TERRAIN. THE AIRCRAFT HAD DEPARTED PKB ABOUT 1000 LOCAL, WITH AN ULTIMATE DESTINATION OF SPG (PLANNED INTERMEDIATE STOPS ARE UNKNOWN). NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED AND THERE IS NO RECORD OF A WEATHER BRIEFING. WEATHER CONDITIONS AT HTS, APPROXIMATELY 18 NM NE, WERE CEILING VARIABLE 400 TO 900 OVERCAST, VISIBILITY 10, WIND 330/06, TEMP -4C, DEWPOINT -6C. CONDITIONS WERE CONDUCTIVE TO CARBURETOR ICING, AND OCCASIONAL SEVERE MIXED ICING CONDITIONS WERE FORECASTED IN CLOUD AND IN PRECIPITATION. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A RIDGE TERRAIN AT N38-18 W82-52. THE 165 FOOT DEBRIS PATH ORIENTED ON A 065 DEGREE HEADING. A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL WAS PRESENT AT THE SITE. THE WRECKAGE SUGGESTS THAT THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED THE TREES AND STRUCK THE GROUND NOSE LOW AND RIGHT WING LOW, INDICATING LOW ALTITUDE STALL AND INCIPIENT SPIN ENTRY. THE ENGINE WAS ROTATING AT IMPACT, WITH LITTLE OR NO POWER. PROP AND ALTERNATOR TO BE EXAMINED FURTHER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.