What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On August 4, 2000, at approximately 0745 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-46-350P, malibu mirage, N198PM, was destroyed when it collided with a utility pole, bus stop, and brick wall and burst into flames during takeoff from daniel field airport, Augusta, Georgia. The instrument-rated commercial pilot and two passengers and one large dog were fatally injuried. Visual meteorlogical conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under title 14 cr part 91. The flight was originating at the time of the accident, with a planned fuel stop of atlantic city, new jersey. According to several witnesses at the daniel field airport, the pilot was intending to fly the two passengers and their dog to portland, Maine, after the fuel stop in atlantic city, new jersey. The male passenger had reportedly made arrangements the prior evening for the flight with himself as the sole passenger; however, he arrived on the morning of the accident with a second passenger, additional baggage, and one large dog weighing approximately 100 pounds according to witnesses. Prior to departure, the aircraft was topped off with fuel. The aircraft was observed by several witnesses departing uphill on runway 05 and the wind was reported by daniel field ASOS (automated surface observing system) as METAR (aviation routine weather report) kdnl METAR 041153Z 210003 10 44 bkn 55 ovc 22/22/3010. One witness observed the aircraft at approximately 30 feet above ground level (AGL) in a nose high attitude traveling parallel to the ground and not climbing. He observed the left wing down about 15-20 degrees of bank and then the wings were leveled and the aircraft descended until impact. Another witness observed the aircraft approximately 10 feet above ground level (AGL) in a nose high attitude traveling parallel to the ground and not climbing. This witness stated that the right wing dipped about 45 degrees and then recovered to a wings level attitude. The the left wing dipped about 45 degrees and recovered to a wings level attitude. Both witnesses stated that when they saw the aircraft the landing gear was extended, however the witness out along the runway with the best view stated that he thought the landing gear was retracted prior to impact. All three witnesses on the airport property stated that they did not hear any unusual about the engine and thought it was functioning properly. Several other witnesses observed the aircraft narrowly clear a 6 (six) foot fence off the departure end of the runway. Shortly thereafter, the airplane impacted a utility pole and roof of a bus stop, followed by impacting a brick wall approximately 100 feet beyond. The airplane exploded on impact and was partially consumed by the post crash fire. End.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON AUGUST 4, 2000, AT APPROXIMATELY 0745 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-46-350P, MALIBU MIRAGE, N198PM, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH A UTILITY POLE, BUS STOP, AND BRICK WALL AND BURST INTO FLAMES DURING TAKEOFF FROM DANIEL FIELD AIRPORT, AUGUSTA, GEORGIA. THE INSTRUMENT-RATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS AND ONE LARGE DOG WERE FATALLY INJURIED. VISUAL METEORLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER TITLE 14 CR PART 91. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, WITH A PLANNED FUEL STOP OF ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY. ACCORDING TO SEVERAL WITNESSES AT THE DANIEL FIELD AIRPORT, THE PILOT WAS INTENDING TO FLY THE TWO PASSENGERS AND THEIR DOG TO PORTLAND, MAINE, AFTER THE FUEL STOP IN ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY. THE MALE PASSENGER HAD REPORTEDLY MADE ARRANGEMENTS THE PRIOR EVENING FOR THE FLIGHT WITH HIMSELF AS THE SOLE PASSENGER; HOWEVER, HE ARRIVED ON THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT WITH A SECOND PASSENGER, ADDITIONAL BAGGAGE, AND ONE LARGE DOG WEIGHING APPROXIMATELY 100 POUNDS ACCORDING TO WITNESSES. PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOPPED OFF WITH FUEL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED BY SEVERAL WITNESSES DEPARTING UPHILL ON RUNWAY 05 AND THE WIND WAS REPORTED BY DANIEL FIELD ASOS (AUTOMATED SURFACE OBSERVING SYSTEM) AS METAR (AVIATION ROUTINE WEATHER REPORT) KDNL METAR 041153Z 210003 10 44 BKN 55 OVC 22/22/3010. ONE WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT AT APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE TRAVELING PARALLEL TO THE GROUND AND NOT CLIMBING. HE OBSERVED THE LEFT WING DOWN ABOUT 15-20 DEGREES OF BANK AND THEN THE WINGS WERE LEVELED AND THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED UNTIL IMPACT. ANOTHER WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE TRAVELING PARALLEL TO THE GROUND AND NOT CLIMBING. THIS WITNESS STATED THAT THE RIGHT WING DIPPED ABOUT 45 DEGREES AND THEN RECOVERED TO A WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE. THE THE LEFT WING DIPPED ABOUT 45 DEGREES AND RECOVERED TO A WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE. BOTH WITNESSES STATED THAT WHEN THEY SAW THE AIRCRAFT THE LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED, HOWEVER THE WITNESS OUT ALONG THE RUNWAY WITH THE BEST VIEW STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED PRIOR TO IMPACT. ALL THREE WITNESSES ON THE AIRPORT PROPERTY STATED THAT THEY DID NOT HEAR ANY UNUSUAL ABOUT THE ENGINE AND THOUGHT IT WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. SEVERAL OTHER WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT NARROWLY CLEAR A 6 (SIX) FOOT FENCE OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A UTILITY POLE AND ROOF OF A BUS STOP, FOLLOWED BY IMPACTING A BRICK WALL APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET BEYOND. THE AIRPLANE EXPLODED ON IMPACT AND WAS PARTIALLY CONSUMED BY THE POST CRASH FIRE. END.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.