What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On July 28, 2001, at approximately 11:40 CDT, Cessna 205, N8324Z, a general aviation airplane, experienced a fatal accident near Locksburg, Arkansas. The airplane is registered to skywagon aviation, LLC, and was operated by george nelson of Oklahoma city, Oklahoma. The private pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 flight. The cross-country flight originated from sun dance air park (hsd) and was enroute to jackson, Mississippi (jan). Preliminary investiga tion indicates that the pilot may have become disoriented and subsequently lost control of the aircraft. Eyewitnesses reported during interviews that eh aircraft circled above the clouds and then descended to the ground in a spinning motion. The airplane impacted the ground in a near vertical flight path. A post-crash fire erupted. Investigation determined the pilot did not have an instrument rating.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JULY 28, 2001, AT APPROXIMATELY 11:40 CDT, CESSNA 205, N8324Z, A GENERAL AVIATION AIRPLANE, EXPERIENCED A FATAL ACCIDENT NEAR LOCKSBURG, ARKANSAS. THE AIRPLANE IS REGISTERED TO SKYWAGON AVIATION, LLC, AND WAS OPERATED BY GEORGE NELSON OF OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 FLIGHT. THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM SUN DANCE AIR PARK (HSD) AND WAS ENROUTE TO JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI (JAN). PRELIMINARY INVESTIGA TION INDICATES THAT THE PILOT MAY HAVE BECOME DISORIENTED AND SUBSEQUENTLY LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. EYEWITNESSES REPORTED DURING INTERVIEWS THAT EH AIRCRAFT CIRCLED ABOVE THE CLOUDS AND THEN DESCENDED TO THE GROUND IN A SPINNING MOTION. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NEAR VERTICAL FLIGHT PATH. A POST-CRASH FIRE ERUPTED. INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE AN INSTRUMENT RATING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.