What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On February 13, 2001, about 1816 eastern standard time, a Cessna 182J, N979ND, registered to a private individual, operated by apex aviation, inc., collided with trees after landing on the martin county golf & country club golf course shortly after takeoff from the Witham Field Airport, Stuart, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The airplane was destroyed by postcrash fire and the private-rated pilot, and pilot rated passenger were fatally injured. The flight originated from the north palm beach county general aviation airport, west palm beach, Florida; the time of departure has not been determined. According to a preliminary transcription of communications, the flight was cleared and had performed one touch-and-go landing. The flight remained in the traffic pattern and was cleared for another touch-and-go landing. Witnesses reported hearing the engine "miss-firing" or strange backfire or popping osunds". The pilot who was seated in the left seat advised the controller that he was landing on the golf course. The controller questioned if the engine was operable and the pilot reported an engine malfunction. The airplane collided with the top of a tree approx. 35 feet above ground level then impacted the ground collapsing the nose landing gear. The airplane then collided with trees while on the ground. A postcrash fire destroyed the airplane. The engine was removed for testing. The enigne was placed on a test stand and one of the heat damaged induction pipes was replaced. With the impact damaged propeller and impact and heat damaged carburetor installed, the engine was operated to approx. 2,600 RPM. The carburetor was retained for further examination. (-23)after touch and go on climb out to pattern altitude pilot radioed he lost his engine and going down on golf course acft crashed on golf course.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON FEBRUARY 13, 2001, ABOUT 1816 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 182J, N979ND, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, OPERATED BY APEX AVIATION, INC., COLLIDED WITH TREES AFTER LANDING ON THE MARTIN COUNTY GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB GOLF COURSE SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE WITHAM FIELD AIRPORT, STUART, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY POSTCRASH FIRE AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT, AND PILOT RATED PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE NORTH PALM BEACH COUNTY GENERAL AVIATION AIRPORT, WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA; THE TIME OF DEPARTURE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. ACCORDING TO A PRELIMINARY TRANSCRIPTION OF COMMUNICATIONS, THE FLIGHT WAS CLEARED AND HAD PERFORMED ONE TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING. THE FLIGHT REMAINED IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND WAS CLEARED FOR ANOTHER TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING. WITNESSES REPORTED HEARING THE ENGINE "MISS-FIRING" OR STRANGE BACKFIRE OR POPPING OSUNDS". THE PILOT WHO WAS SEATED IN THE LEFT SEAT ADVISED THE CONTROLLER THAT HE WAS LANDING ON THE GOLF COURSE. THE CONTROLLER QUESTIONED IF THE ENGINE WAS OPERABLE AND THE PILOT REPORTED AN ENGINE MALFUNCTION. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE TOP OF A TREE APPROX. 35 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND COLLAPSING THE NOSE LANDING GEAR. THE AIRPLANE THEN COLLIDED WITH TREES WHILE ON THE GROUND. A POSTCRASH FIRE DESTROYED THE AIRPLANE. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED FOR TESTING. THE ENIGNE WAS PLACED ON A TEST STAND AND ONE OF THE HEAT DAMAGED INDUCTION PIPES WAS REPLACED. WITH THE IMPACT DAMAGED PROPELLER AND IMPACT AND HEAT DAMAGED CARBURETOR INSTALLED, THE ENGINE WAS OPERATED TO APPROX. 2,600 RPM. THE CARBURETOR WAS RETAINED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. (-23)AFTER TOUCH AND GO ON CLIMB OUT TO PATTERN ALTITUDE PILOT RADIOED HE LOST HIS ENGINE AND GOING DOWN ON GOLF COURSE ACFT CRASHED ON GOLF COURSE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.