What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On February 04, 2001,at 1318 EST, a Mooney M20R aircraft crashed at the intersection of SC170 and us 278, beaufort county, Bluffton, SC. During climb out and leveling at 3000' N88FJ was handed off to beaufort mcas heading 050 from sav departure. For no reported reason N88FJ reversed course to 225 degrees and started descending rapidly. The aircraft impacted high power lines on its trajectory toward the earth in a nose down attitude, at a high rate of speed. The last radar image from jax center, reported N88FJ at 1700' and descending. Weather was IMC with 700 overcast and 10 miles visibility. At impact the aircraft was demolished, and debris was scattered over a city block. The pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries. (.4) the instrument-rated pilot obtained a weather brief which indicated instrument meteorological flight conditions, with cloud bases near 600 feet, and tops above 10,000 feet. Flight visibility was 0 miles in the clouds, and near 4 miles in mist below the lowest cloud base. An AIRMET for IFR conditions had been in effect for the area of the accident site. The pilot departed savannah, Georgia during daylight hours, and about 8 minutes into the f light after he had acknowledged an air traffic controller's instruction to fly heading of 080 degrees, and to maintain an altitude of 3,000 feet, the airplane was observed to turn to the left, followed by in a descending turn to the right. The airplane was last observed at 1318:38, at an altitude of 1,700 feet. It collided with high voltage utility wires, and impacted the ground spreading burning debris over a large area. A witness who was outside her house on her porch said she saw the accident airplane in a descent with one wing low as if in a turn, and it disappeared behind trees, exploding on impact. She stated that the engine sounded as if it was operating normally prior to the impact. Postcrash examination of the aircraft did not reveal any evidence of any preaccident failure or malfunction to the airframe, the flight controls, or the engine.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON FEBRUARY 04, 2001,AT 1318 EST, A MOONEY M20R AIRCRAFT CRASHED AT THE INTERSECTION OF SC170 AND US 278, BEAUFORT COUNTY, BLUFFTON, SC. DURING CLIMB OUT AND LEVELING AT 3000' N88FJ WAS HANDED OFF TO BEAUFORT MCAS HEADING 050 FROM SAV DEPARTURE. FOR NO REPORTED REASON N88FJ REVERSED COURSE TO 225 DEGREES AND STARTED DESCENDING RAPIDLY. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED HIGH POWER LINES ON ITS TRAJECTORY TOWARD THE EARTH IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE, AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE LAST RADAR IMAGE FROM JAX CENTER, REPORTED N88FJ AT 1700' AND DESCENDING. WEATHER WAS IMC WITH 700 OVERCAST AND 10 MILES VISIBILITY. AT IMPACT THE AIRCRAFT WAS DEMOLISHED, AND DEBRIS WAS SCATTERED OVER A CITY BLOCK. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. (.4) THE INSTRUMENT-RATED PILOT OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEF WHICH INDICATED INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL FLIGHT CONDITIONS, WITH CLOUD BASES NEAR 600 FEET, AND TOPS ABOVE 10,000 FEET. FLIGHT VISIBILITY WAS 0 MILES IN THE CLOUDS, AND NEAR 4 MILES IN MIST BELOW THE LOWEST CLOUD BASE. AN AIRMET FOR IFR CONDITIONS HAD BEEN IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE PILOT DEPARTED SAVANNAH, GEORGIA DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS, AND ABOUT 8 MINUTES INTO THE F LIGHT AFTER HE HAD ACKNOWLEDGED AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER'S INSTRUCTION TO FLY HEADING OF 080 DEGREES, AND TO MAINTAIN AN ALTITUDE OF 3,000 FEET, THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO TURN TO THE LEFT, FOLLOWED BY IN A DESCENDING TURN TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS LAST OBSERVED AT 1318:38, AT AN ALTITUDE OF 1,700 FEET. IT COLLIDED WITH HIGH VOLTAGE UTILITY WIRES, AND IMPACTED THE GROUND SPREADING BURNING DEBRIS OVER A LARGE AREA. A WITNESS WHO WAS OUTSIDE HER HOUSE ON HER PORCH SAID SHE SAW THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE IN A DESCENT WITH ONE WING LOW AS IF IN A TURN, AND IT DISAPPEARED BEHIND TREES, EXPLODING ON IMPACT. SHE STATED THAT THE ENGINE SOUNDED AS IF IT WAS OPERATING NORMALLY PRIOR TO THE IMPACT. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT REVEAL ANY EVIDENCE OF ANY PREACCIDENT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION TO THE AIRFRAME, THE FLIGHT CONTROLS, OR THE ENGINE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.