What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) 1. Fog 2. In flight control in flight 3. Loss of control in flight 4. Impact with terrain (.4)on December 4, 2000, about 1910 eastern standard time, a Robinson R-44A, N744FC, operated by christian cardiology, manchester, Kentucky, was destroyed when it impacted rising terrain near sandgap, Kentucky. The non-instrument rated, certificated private pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site. No flight plan had been filed for the business flight that was conducted under 14 CFR part 91. The pilot, along with two company employees were en route to lexington, Kentucky, to acquire additional equipment for a planned expansion of the pilot's medical practice. According to witnesses, the flight had been planned to depart from his office in manchester, with an intermediate stop at jackson, Kentucky, and then proceed to lexington. The pilot was estimated to have departed about 1850. Several witnesses along the route of flight reported either seeing or hearing a helicopter fly by. However, a check of the times the helicopter was observed or heard, revealed mos t were earlier than the departure time of the accident flight. Two witnesses in a vehicle, were headed toward mckee, Kentucky, about 1910. They observed a bright glow on the opposite side of a ridgeline through clouds. One of the witness reported the glow lasted for about 5 seconds and described it as similar to a sunrise. The other witness reported a low cloud covered the top of the ridge. Neither witness saw or heard the helicopter prior to the glow, nor was any smoke observed after the glow. Based upon the witnesses' observations, the wreckage was found on December 5, 2000. The accident occurred during the hours of darkness at 37 degrees, 31.272 north latitude, and 84 degrees, 04.911 minutes west longitude.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) 1. FOG 2. IN FLIGHT CONTROL IN FLIGHT 3. LOSS OF CONTROL IN FLIGHT 4. IMPACT WITH TERRAIN (.4)ON DECEMBER 4, 2000, ABOUT 1910 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A ROBINSON R-44A, N744FC, OPERATED BY CHRISTIAN CARDIOLOGY, MANCHESTER, KENTUCKY, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED RISING TERRAIN NEAR SANDGAP, KENTUCKY. THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED, CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. NIGHT INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE BUSINESS FLIGHT THAT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE PILOT, ALONG WITH TWO COMPANY EMPLOYEES WERE EN ROUTE TO LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY, TO ACQUIRE ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT FOR A PLANNED EXPANSION OF THE PILOT'S MEDICAL PRACTICE. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE FLIGHT HAD BEEN PLANNED TO DEPART FROM HIS OFFICE IN MANCHESTER, WITH AN INTERMEDIATE STOP AT JACKSON, KENTUCKY, AND THEN PROCEED TO LEXINGTON. THE PILOT WAS ESTIMATED TO HAVE DEPARTED ABOUT 1850. SEVERAL WITNESSES ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT REPORTED EITHER SEEING OR HEARING A HELICOPTER FLY BY. HOWEVER, A CHECK OF THE TIMES THE HELICOPTER WAS OBSERVED OR HEARD, REVEALED MOS T WERE EARLIER THAN THE DEPARTURE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. TWO WITNESSES IN A VEHICLE, WERE HEADED TOWARD MCKEE, KENTUCKY, ABOUT 1910. THEY OBSERVED A BRIGHT GLOW ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF A RIDGELINE THROUGH CLOUDS. ONE OF THE WITNESS REPORTED THE GLOW LASTED FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS AND DESCRIBED IT AS SIMILAR TO A SUNRISE. THE OTHER WITNESS REPORTED A LOW CLOUD COVERED THE TOP OF THE RIDGE. NEITHER WITNESS SAW OR HEARD THE HELICOPTER PRIOR TO THE GLOW, NOR WAS ANY SMOKE OBSERVED AFTER THE GLOW. BASED UPON THE WITNESSES' OBSERVATIONS, THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND ON DECEMBER 5, 2000. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING THE HOURS OF DARKNESS AT 37 DEGREES, 31.272 NORTH LATITUDE, AND 84 DEGREES, 04.911 MINUTES 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.