What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On August 16, 2000 at approximately 1730 CDT, a Cessna 182RG, N3674C, departed Princeton, KY airport, (2MO), from runway 22, for a local flight. Immediately after take-off the plane hit the tops of some trees, located at the end of the runway, and crashed into a garden, close to the trees and next to a trailer. The pilot and one passenger were killed on impact. Two passengers sitting in the rear of the plane were injuried. The aircraft was destroyed, and caught on fire when it impacted the ground. Neither weight & balance nor performance appeared to be a problem, with the available evidence. It appears that a 44709 re-exam may have been appropriate for the pilot of the aircraft who died in the crash. (.4)on August 16, 2000, at 1741 central daylight time, a Cessna 182RG, N3674C, was destroyed when it impacted terrain shortly after taking off from Princeton-Caldwell County Airport (2M0), Princeton, Kentucky. The certificated private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured, and two other passengers were seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed for the local flig t, which was conducted under 14 CFR part 91. According to a police officer, one of the surviving passengers stated that the occupants were all from the same company, and were in town for a building restoration project. Due to a lull in the work schedule, they decided to take a tour of the area. After takeoff, the airplane was "too low," and could not clear a tree line. It "hit some trees, this caused the wing to tip down, and they again hit some trees and the plane crashed." In a recorded interview with a third party, the other surviving passenger stated that on the day of the accident, after the group had finished its work for the day, the pilot suggested they "fly around the lake." The group then went to the airport, and the pilot conducted a preflight inspection of the airplane, including the fuel system. At that point, "everything seemed to be a 'go' and...we started out." The airplane was then taxied to the end of the runway, and began its takeoff roll, which took "three quarter or better" of the 3,000-foot runway. After takeoff, it "seemed like...we just didn't have enough power or something." The passenger thought that the airplane was "just going to barely miss [some] trees...but...instead of barely missing [them], we actually hit the trees and things started going haywire from there." The passenger also noted that the airplane had impacted the trees with its landing gear, and then, it had "spun...to the left." In addition, during the takeoff, the engine had "sounded wide open," and never sputtered or backfired. The accident occurred during daylight hours, at 37 degrees, 06.6 minutes north latitude, 87 degrees, 51.9 degrees west longitude.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON AUGUST 16, 2000 AT APPROXIMATELY 1730 CDT, A CESSNA 182RG, N3674C, DEPARTED PRINCETON, KY AIRPORT, (2MO), FROM RUNWAY 22, FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKE-OFF THE PLANE HIT THE TOPS OF SOME TREES, LOCATED AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY, AND CRASHED INTO A GARDEN, CLOSE TO THE TREES AND NEXT TO A TRAILER. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE KILLED ON IMPACT. TWO PASSENGERS SITTING IN THE REAR OF THE PLANE WERE INJURIED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED, AND CAUGHT ON FIRE WHEN IT IMPACTED THE GROUND. NEITHER WEIGHT & BALANCE NOR PERFORMANCE APPEARED TO BE A PROBLEM, WITH THE AVAILABLE EVIDENCE. IT APPEARS THAT A 44709 RE-EXAM MAY HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATE FOR THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT WHO DIED IN THE CRASH. (.4)ON AUGUST 16, 2000, AT 1741 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 182RG, N3674C, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN SHORTLY AFTER TAKING OFF FROM PRINCETON-CALDWELL COUNTY AIRPORT (2M0), PRINCETON, KENTUCKY. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED, AND TWO OTHER PASSENGERS WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIG T, WHICH WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO A POLICE OFFICER, ONE OF THE SURVIVING PASSENGERS STATED THAT THE OCCUPANTS WERE ALL FROM THE SAME COMPANY, AND WERE IN TOWN FOR A BUILDING RESTORATION PROJECT. DUE TO A LULL IN THE WORK SCHEDULE, THEY DECIDED TO TAKE A TOUR OF THE AREA. AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE WAS "TOO LOW," AND COULD NOT CLEAR A TREE LINE. IT "HIT SOME TREES, THIS CAUSED THE WING TO TIP DOWN, AND THEY AGAIN HIT SOME TREES AND THE PLANE CRASHED." IN A RECORDED INTERVIEW WITH A THIRD PARTY, THE OTHER SURVIVING PASSENGER STATED THAT ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, AFTER THE GROUP HAD FINISHED ITS WORK FOR THE DAY, THE PILOT SUGGESTED THEY "FLY AROUND THE LAKE." THE GROUP THEN WENT TO THE AIRPORT, AND THE PILOT CONDUCTED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE, INCLUDING THE FUEL SYSTEM. AT THAT POINT, "EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE A 'GO' AND...WE STARTED OUT." THE AIRPLANE WAS THEN TAXIED TO THE END OF THE RUNWAY, AND BEGAN ITS TAKEOFF ROLL, WHICH TOOK "THREE QUARTER OR BETTER" OF THE 3,000-FOOT RUNWAY. AFTER TAKEOFF, IT "SEEMED LIKE...WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH POWER OR SOMETHING." THE PASSENGER THOUGHT THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS "JUST GOING TO BARELY MISS [SOME] TREES...BUT...INSTEAD OF BARELY MISSING [THEM], WE ACTUALLY HIT THE TREES AND THINGS STARTED GOING HAYWIRE FROM THERE." THE PASSENGER ALSO NOTED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD IMPACTED THE TREES WITH ITS LANDING GEAR, AND THEN, IT HAD "SPUN...TO THE LEFT." IN ADDITION, DURING THE TAKEOFF, THE ENGINE HAD "SOUNDED WIDE OPEN," AND NEVER SPUTTERED OR BACKFIRED. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS, AT 37 DEGREES, 06.6 MINUTES NORTH LATITUDE, 87 DEGREES, 51.9 DEGREES WEST LONGITUDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.