What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot departed tuscaloosa at approx. 09:10 local on 3/31/01 in visual meteorological conditions for gadsden without filing a flight plan. The weather at birmingham between 08:55 and 9:53 local showed wind from the west at 8 to 9 knots with a visibility of 3 miles with light drizzle at 08:55 and fog at 09:53. The ceiling at birmingham at 08:55 was 500 feet overcast and variable from 300 to 600 feet and the ceiling remained at 500 feet overcast at 09:53. N49LK under controlled flight, flew into the side of a mountain approx. 50 feet below the peak. (.19) on March 31, 2002, about 0930 CST, a larry r. kinsey O-235, N49LK, registered to an individual, collides with terrain near Pinson, Alabama, while on a title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. Instrument meteorological condtions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed and the private-rated pilot received fatal injuries. The flight originated from tuscaloosa, Alabama, on March 31, 2001, at 0910 CST. According to members of the pilot's family, the pilot was flying from tuscaloosa, Alabama, to gadsden, AL. When the flight did not arrive, search operations were initiated. The airplane wreckage was located on April 6, 2001, about 1600. (.4) the flight departed tuscaloosa, Alabama, enroute to gadsden, Alabama. When the flight did not arrive, search and rescue operations were initiated. The airplane wreckage was located on April 6, 2001, at about the 1,000 foot MSL level, on the west side of village mountain, near Pinson, Alabama. Examination of the crash site showed the airplane had flown from a valley, easterly, into rising terrain. The airplane crashed into trees while in crui se flight and came to rest about 100 feet from the top of the mountain. All components of the airplane were located at the crash site. Post crash examination of the aircraft structure, flight controls, engine, and propeller, showed no evidence of precrash failure or malfunction. The birmingham international airport surface observation taken about 13 minutes after the accident was clouds 500 feet overcast with visibility 3 miles in drizzle. Birmingham is located 15 statute miles south-southeast of the accident site, at an elevation of 636 feet MSL. The person who lives in the residence adjacent to the accident site reported that on the day of the accident the clouds obscured the mountain and visibility was low all day. The FAA had no record that the pilot had received a weather briefing from an FAA facility.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT DEPARTED TUSCALOOSA AT APPROX. 09:10 LOCAL ON 3/31/01 IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS FOR GADSDEN WITHOUT FILING A FLIGHT PLAN. THE WEATHER AT BIRMINGHAM BETWEEN 08:55 AND 9:53 LOCAL SHOWED WIND FROM THE WEST AT 8 TO 9 KNOTS WITH A VISIBILITY OF 3 MILES WITH LIGHT DRIZZLE AT 08:55 AND FOG AT 09:53. THE CEILING AT BIRMINGHAM AT 08:55 WAS 500 FEET OVERCAST AND VARIABLE FROM 300 TO 600 FEET AND THE CEILING REMAINED AT 500 FEET OVERCAST AT 09:53. N49LK UNDER CONTROLLED FLIGHT, FLEW INTO THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN APPROX. 50 FEET BELOW THE PEAK. (.19) ON MARCH 31, 2002, ABOUT 0930 CST, A LARRY R. KINSEY O-235, N49LK, REGISTERED TO AN INDIVIDUAL, COLLIDES WITH TERRAIN NEAR PINSON, ALABAMA, WHILE ON A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDTIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA, ON MARCH 31, 2001, AT 0910 CST. ACCORDING TO MEMBERS OF THE PILOT'S FAMILY, THE PILOT WAS FLYING FROM TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA, TO GADSDEN, AL. WHEN THE FLIGHT DID NOT ARRIVE, SEARCH OPERATIONS WERE INITIATED. THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ON APRIL 6, 2001, ABOUT 1600. (.4) THE FLIGHT DEPARTED TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA, ENROUTE TO GADSDEN, ALABAMA. WHEN THE FLIGHT DID NOT ARRIVE, SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS WERE INITIATED. THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ON APRIL 6, 2001, AT ABOUT THE 1,000 FOOT MSL LEVEL, ON THE WEST SIDE OF VILLAGE MOUNTAIN, NEAR PINSON, ALABAMA. EXAMINATION OF THE CRASH SITE SHOWED THE AIRPLANE HAD FLOWN FROM A VALLEY, EASTERLY, INTO RISING TERRAIN. THE AIRPLANE CRASHED INTO TREES WHILE IN CRUI SE FLIGHT AND CAME TO REST ABOUT 100 FEET FROM THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN. ALL COMPONENTS OF THE AIRPLANE WERE LOCATED AT THE CRASH SITE. POST CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE, FLIGHT CONTROLS, ENGINE, AND PROPELLER, SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF PRECRASH FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SURFACE OBSERVATION TAKEN ABOUT 13 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT WAS CLOUDS 500 FEET OVERCAST WITH VISIBILITY 3 MILES IN DRIZZLE. BIRMINGHAM IS LOCATED 15 STATUTE MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, AT AN ELEVATION OF 636 FEET MSL. THE PERSON WHO LIVES IN THE RESIDENCE ADJACENT TO THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED THAT ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT THE CLOUDS OBSCURED THE MOUNTAIN AND VISIBILITY WAS LOW ALL DAY. THE FAA HAD NO RECORD THAT THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING FROM AN FAA FACILITY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N49LK · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.