What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)See narrative NYC01FA102 (.4) history of flight: on April 18, 2001, about 2000 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, N95655, was destroyed when it nose-dived into terrain during low-level maneuvering over la grange, Kentucky. The certificated student pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed for the local flight, which originated at bowman field (lou), louisville, Kentucky. The solo instructional flight was conducted under 14 CFR part 91. According to several witnesses, the pilot was airborne when he called his brother's home via cell phone, to advise he'd soon be flying overhead. The airplane arrived in the accident area and began circling, and was also seen wagging its wings. The airplane's altitude was estimated by several witnesses as ranging between 100 and 300 feet above the ground. After maneuvering for about 5 minutes, the airplane headed southwest, towards a prison complex. As it flew over one of the prison's plowed agricultural fields, it suddenly nose-dived into the ground. A witness noted that just prior to the nosedive, "the plane su ddenly seemed to move up and down on an axis." Just before the nosedive, one witness thought the engine "faltered a little," another thought the engine was "operating normally," and a third witness heard the engine "get loud." The accident occurred about 20 minutes before sunset, at 38 degrees, 24.9 minutes north latitude, 85 degrees, 25.3 minutes west longitude.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)SEE NARRATIVE NYC01FA102 (.4) HISTORY OF FLIGHT: ON APRIL 18, 2001, ABOUT 2000 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 152, N95655, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT NOSE-DIVED INTO TERRAIN DURING LOW-LEVEL MANEUVERING OVER LA GRANGE, KENTUCKY. THE CERTIFICATED STUDENT PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT, WHICH ORIGINATED AT BOWMAN FIELD (LOU), LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY. THE SOLO INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO SEVERAL WITNESSES, THE PILOT WAS AIRBORNE WHEN HE CALLED HIS BROTHER'S HOME VIA CELL PHONE, TO ADVISE HE'D SOON BE FLYING OVERHEAD. THE AIRPLANE ARRIVED IN THE ACCIDENT AREA AND BEGAN CIRCLING, AND WAS ALSO SEEN WAGGING ITS WINGS. THE AIRPLANE'S ALTITUDE WAS ESTIMATED BY SEVERAL WITNESSES AS RANGING BETWEEN 100 AND 300 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. AFTER MANEUVERING FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES, THE AIRPLANE HEADED SOUTHWEST, TOWARDS A PRISON COMPLEX. AS IT FLEW OVER ONE OF THE PRISON'S PLOWED AGRICULTURAL FIELDS, IT SUDDENLY NOSE-DIVED INTO THE GROUND. A WITNESS NOTED THAT JUST PRIOR TO THE NOSEDIVE, "THE PLANE SU DDENLY SEEMED TO MOVE UP AND DOWN ON AN AXIS." JUST BEFORE THE NOSEDIVE, ONE WITNESS THOUGHT THE ENGINE "FALTERED A LITTLE," ANOTHER THOUGHT THE ENGINE WAS "OPERATING NORMALLY," AND A THIRD WITNESS HEARD THE ENGINE "GET LOUD." THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ABOUT 20 MINUTES BEFORE SUNSET, AT 38 DEGREES, 24.9 MINUTES NORTH LATITUDE, 85 DEGREES, 25.3 MINUTES WEST LONGITUDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.