What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) A/c departed tifton, GA. (Tma) VFR. No flight plan was filed. Thirty miles southwest of seymour johnson air force base, NC, the pilot obtained an IFR clearance for the approach at Pitt-Greenville Airport (pgv) in Greenville, NC. The pilot was cleared to descend to 3,000 feet from 5,500 feet MSL, and proceed to the alwood intersection (intial approach fix) for the ILS runway 20 approach at the Pitt-Greenville Airport. Pilot was contacted twice with altitude warnings of 2,500 and 2,800 feet radar returns. Pilot acknowledged warnings. Pilot was cleared for ILS-20 approach and radar contact was terminated. The minimum descent altitude was 1,600 feet. At 1840 Pitt-Greenville Airport was notified by Washington center fss of missing a/c. no flight plan cancellation was received by 1920. FAA FSDO was notified at 1938. A/c was found by local authorities in an open field after electrical power was lost in area residence. (.4) the flight proceeded VFR, without a flight plan, until a location about 40 miles southwest of the destination airport. Due to weather at the destination, the pilot filed and was given an IFR clearance. He was cleared to descend to 3,000 feet, proceed to the initial approach fix for the ILS runway 20 approach, and subsequently cleared for the approach, via the published procedure turn. The minimum altitude for the procedure turn was 1,600 feet. According to the controller's statement, he requested an altitude report from the pilot, and had to advise him his "assigned altitude was 3,000 ..he was at various altitudes from 2,000 to 2,700." The last radar plot at 1823:47, showed the flight was at 2,100 feet, still in the procedure turn, when radar and radio communications were lost. The airplane struck wires about 35 feet above the ground, about 11.5 miles north of the airport. The pilot had accumulated a total of 4,015 total flight hours, all in single engine aircraft, and 137 hours in this make and model aircraft. In addition, the logbooks showed that he had 324 total night flight hours, 135 simulated instrument flight hours, and 105 actual instrument flight hours. The pilot had logged a total of 10.6 instrument flight hours for the entire years of 1999 and 2000. July 12, 2000, was the last entry that showed .4 of an hour instrument flight time. Examination of the engine, propeller, and the vacuum pump revealed no discrepancies. The accident occurred during the hours of darkness, and the reported weather at about the time of the accident was; 300 overcast, visibility 1 sm light rain, winds calm, temperature 55 degrees f, dew point 54 degrees f, and the altimeter was 30.19 inches hg. Toxicological tests revealed that a drug called chlorpheniramine was found in the urine and blood. Chlorpheniramine could results in drowsiness, and has measurable effects on performance of complex cognitive and motor tasks (e.g. flying an aircraft), reduced performance, and interfere with the normal function of the inner ear, potentially increasing susceptibility to spatial disorientation.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) A/C DEPARTED TIFTON, GA. (TMA) VFR. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THIRTY MILES SOUTHWEST OF SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, NC, THE PILOT OBTAINED AN IFR CLEARANCE FOR THE APPROACH AT PITT-GREENVILLE AIRPORT (PGV) IN GREENVILLE, NC. THE PILOT WAS CLEARED TO DESCEND TO 3,000 FEET FROM 5,500 FEET MSL, AND PROCEED TO THE ALWOOD INTERSECTION (INTIAL APPROACH FIX) FOR THE ILS RUNWAY 20 APPROACH AT THE PITT-GREENVILLE AIRPORT. PILOT WAS CONTACTED TWICE WITH ALTITUDE WARNINGS OF 2,500 AND 2,800 FEET RADAR RETURNS. PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED WARNINGS. PILOT WAS CLEARED FOR ILS-20 APPROACH AND RADAR CONTACT WAS TERMINATED. THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE WAS 1,600 FEET. AT 1840 PITT-GREENVILLE AIRPORT WAS NOTIFIED BY WASHINGTON CENTER FSS OF MISSING A/C. NO FLIGHT PLAN CANCELLATION WAS RECEIVED BY 1920. FAA FSDO WAS NOTIFIED AT 1938. A/C WAS FOUND BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN AN OPEN FIELD AFTER ELECTRICAL POWER WAS LOST IN AREA RESIDENCE. (.4) THE FLIGHT PROCEEDED VFR, WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN, UNTIL A LOCATION ABOUT 40 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE DESTINATION AIRPORT. DUE TO WEATHER AT THE DESTINATION, THE PILOT FILED AND WAS GIVEN AN IFR CLEARANCE. HE WAS CLEARED TO DESCEND TO 3,000 FEET, PROCEED TO THE INITIAL APPROACH FIX FOR THE ILS RUNWAY 20 APPROACH, AND SUBSEQUENTLY CLEARED FOR THE APPROACH, VIA THE PUBLISHED PROCEDURE TURN. THE MINIMUM ALTITUDE FOR THE PROCEDURE TURN WAS 1,600 FEET. ACCORDING TO THE CONTROLLER'S STATEMENT, HE REQUESTED AN ALTITUDE REPORT FROM THE PILOT, AND HAD TO ADVISE HIM HIS "ASSIGNED ALTITUDE WAS 3,000 ..HE WAS AT VARIOUS ALTITUDES FROM 2,000 TO 2,700." THE LAST RADAR PLOT AT 1823:47, SHOWED THE FLIGHT WAS AT 2,100 FEET, STILL IN THE PROCEDURE TURN, WHEN RADAR AND RADIO COMMUNICATIONS WERE LOST. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK WIRES ABOUT 35 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, ABOUT 11.5 MILES NORTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF 4,015 TOTAL FLIGHT HOURS, ALL IN SINGLE ENGINE AIRCRAFT, AND 137 HOURS IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL AIRCRAFT. IN ADDITION, THE LOGBOOKS SHOWED THAT HE HAD 324 TOTAL NIGHT FLIGHT HOURS, 135 SIMULATED INSTRUMENT FLIGHT HOURS, AND 105 ACTUAL INSTRUMENT FLIGHT HOURS. THE PILOT HAD LOGGED A TOTAL OF 10.6 INSTRUMENT FLIGHT HOURS FOR THE ENTIRE YEARS OF 1999 AND 2000. JULY 12, 2000, WAS THE LAST ENTRY THAT SHOWED .4 OF AN HOUR INSTRUMENT FLIGHT TIME. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE, PROPELLER, AND THE VACUUM PUMP REVEALED NO DISCREPANCIES. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING THE HOURS OF DARKNESS, AND THE REPORTED WEATHER AT ABOUT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS; 300 OVERCAST, VISIBILITY 1 SM LIGHT RAIN, WINDS CALM, TEMPERATURE 55 DEGREES F, DEW POINT 54 DEGREES F, AND THE ALTIMETER WAS 30.19 INCHES HG. TOXICOLOGICAL TESTS REVEALED THAT A DRUG CALLED CHLORPHENIRAMINE WAS FOUND IN THE URINE AND BLOOD. CHLORPHENIRAMINE COULD RESULTS IN DROWSINESS, AND HAS MEASURABLE EFFECTS ON PERFORMANCE OF COMPLEX COGNITIVE AND MOTOR TASKS (E.G. FLYING AN AIRCRAFT), REDUCED PERFORMANCE, AND INTERFERE WITH THE NORMAL FUNCTION OF THE INNER EAR, POTENTIALLY INCREASING SUSCEPTIBILITY TO SPATIAL DISORIENTATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.