What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On Friday, August 24, 2001 at 0542 local time, a Learjet LR-25-25 aircraft, operated by ameristar jet charter, inc. took off from runway 32 at Tompkins County Airport (ith), Ithaca, new york. Royce a. read, certificate number 441542305 piloted the aircraft. Brian d. o'laughlin, certificate number 522536093 was in the right seat. As ith tower was closed at the time, buffalo fss gave a void time IFR clearance for takeoff. The weather was calm with heavy fog. A ground observer saw the aircraft rotate at taxiway "charley" and saw the beacons ascend into the fog up to the point they became obscure, estimated 150-200 feet AGL. The aircraft then flew through the perimeter fence of the airport in a wings-level attitude with only a slight varition of runway heading to the north, struck the raised road bed of warren street, proceeded across a grassy field and entered an area of thich brush and undergrowth where the final dismemberment of the airframe occurred. The flight crew were killed in the crash. The cargo, consisting of 428 pounds of automotive parts in a shipping tub was found still secured into its proper position. The aircraft had fueled before departure, taking 50 gallons into each of its two tip tanks. The fuel was serviced with a deicing additive. No debris was found on the runway or under the flight path of the aircraft. The NTSB and FAA aai were on the scene and are still investigating.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2001 AT 0542 LOCAL TIME, A LEARJET LR-25-25 AIRCRAFT, OPERATED BY AMERISTAR JET CHARTER, INC. TOOK OFF FROM RUNWAY 32 AT TOMPKINS COUNTY AIRPORT (ITH), ITHACA, NEW YORK. ROYCE A. READ, CERTIFICATE NUMBER 441542305 PILOTED THE AIRCRAFT. BRIAN D. O'LAUGHLIN, CERTIFICATE NUMBER 522536093 WAS IN THE RIGHT SEAT. AS ITH TOWER WAS CLOSED AT THE TIME, BUFFALO FSS GAVE A VOID TIME IFR CLEARANCE FOR TAKEOFF. THE WEATHER WAS CALM WITH HEAVY FOG. A GROUND OBSERVER SAW THE AIRCRAFT ROTATE AT TAXIWAY "CHARLEY" AND SAW THE BEACONS ASCEND INTO THE FOG UP TO THE POINT THEY BECAME OBSCURE, ESTIMATED 150-200 FEET AGL. THE AIRCRAFT THEN FLEW THROUGH THE PERIMETER FENCE OF THE AIRPORT IN A WINGS-LEVEL ATTITUDE WITH ONLY A SLIGHT VARITION OF RUNWAY HEADING TO THE NORTH, STRUCK THE RAISED ROAD BED OF WARREN STREET, PROCEEDED ACROSS A GRASSY FIELD AND ENTERED AN AREA OF THICH BRUSH AND UNDERGROWTH WHERE THE FINAL DISMEMBERMENT OF THE AIRFRAME OCCURRED. THE FLIGHT CREW WERE KILLED IN THE CRASH. THE CARGO, CONSISTING OF 428 POUNDS OF AUTOMOTIVE PARTS IN A SHIPPING TUB WAS FOUND STILL SECURED INTO ITS PROPER POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT HAD FUELED BEFORE DEPARTURE, TAKING 50 GALLONS INTO EACH OF ITS TWO TIP TANKS. THE FUEL WAS SERVICED WITH A DEICING ADDITIVE. NO DEBRIS WAS FOUND ON THE RUNWAY OR UNDER THE FLIGHT PATH OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE NTSB AND FAA AAI WERE ON THE SCENE AND ARE STILL INVESTIGATING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.