What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On January 11, 2001, at 1915 CDT. A Cessna 206H, N2468G, piloted by william g. oliver, collided with trees and a mountain top approx. 28 DME on the 125 degree radial from vulcan VOR (vuz). The flight departed gainesville, Georgia (glv) at 1830 hours and was a 14 CFR 135 cargo flight hauling bank checks for air carriers, inc. (dkba) en route to Bessemer, Alabama (eky). There was no flight plan on file and weather reports for the time indicate that the flight was VFR in instrument meteorological conditions. The airplane was destroyed and the pilot received fatal injuries. (.4) the cargo flight was scheduled to arrive at the destination airport at 1945; but it never arrived. When the operator became concerned, he reported the overdue airplane to the local FAA flight service station. After the search for the missing airplane was initiated, an orbiting satellite identified an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal in the vicinity of the downed airplane. The following morning, a ground search party located the downed airplane wreckage at the 1,400-foot level of penitentiary mountain. A review of weather data and witness accounts, revealed that low ceilings were present at the accident site at the approximate time of the accident. The pilot had not filed a flight plane nor had he received a recent weather briefing before departing on the last leg of the flight. No mechanical problems were discovered during the post-crash examination of the airplane.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JANUARY 11, 2001, AT 1915 CDT. A CESSNA 206H, N2468G, PILOTED BY WILLIAM G. OLIVER, COLLIDED WITH TREES AND A MOUNTAIN TOP APPROX. 28 DME ON THE 125 DEGREE RADIAL FROM VULCAN VOR (VUZ). THE FLIGHT DEPARTED GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA (GLV) AT 1830 HOURS AND WAS A 14 CFR 135 CARGO FLIGHT HAULING BANK CHECKS FOR AIR CARRIERS, INC. (DKBA) EN ROUTE TO BESSEMER, ALABAMA (EKY). THERE WAS NO FLIGHT PLAN ON FILE AND WEATHER REPORTS FOR THE TIME INDICATE THAT THE FLIGHT WAS VFR IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED AND THE PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. (.4) THE CARGO FLIGHT WAS SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT AT 1945; BUT IT NEVER ARRIVED. WHEN THE OPERATOR BECAME CONCERNED, HE REPORTED THE OVERDUE AIRPLANE TO THE LOCAL FAA FLIGHT SERVICE STATION. AFTER THE SEARCH FOR THE MISSING AIRPLANE WAS INITIATED, AN ORBITING SATELLITE IDENTIFIED AN EMERGENCY LOCATOR TRANSMITTER (ELT) SIGNAL IN THE VICINITY OF THE DOWNED AIRPLANE. THE FOLLOWING MORNING, A GROUND SEARCH PARTY LOCATED THE DOWNED AIRPLANE WRECKAGE AT THE 1,400-FOOT LEVEL OF PENITENTIARY MOUNTAIN. A REVIEW OF WEATHER DATA AND WITNESS ACCOUNTS, REVEALED THAT LOW CEILINGS WERE PRESENT AT THE ACCIDENT SITE AT THE APPROXIMATE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT HAD NOT FILED A FLIGHT PLANE NOR HAD HE RECEIVED A RECENT WEATHER BRIEFING BEFORE DEPARTING ON THE LAST LEG OF THE FLIGHT. NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WERE DISCOVERED DURING THE POST-CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.