What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On September 5, 2001 at approximately 7:10 am N18414, a Beechcraft baron departed Ashland, Oregon enroute to scottsdale, Arizona. There were two passengers onboard in addition ot the pilot in command who was a 10,000 hour private pilot with instrument privileges. FAA records indicate that the pilot did not possess a valid medical certificate. The pilot did receive a weather briefing from the FAA flight service station by telephone prior to departure although no VFR or IFR flight plan was filed. Witnesses stated no preflight runup was observed prior to takeoff, and the pilot appeared to be in a hurry. Several credible witnesses stated the weather at the Ashland, Oregon airport and to the south was a solid 4,500 foot overcast layer. At approximately 7:15AM N18414 impacted a mountain ridge 5 nautical miles south of the Ashland airport at 5,100 feet MSL. All three occupants of the aircraft were killed and the Beechcraft aircraft was destroyed. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any pre-impact failures of the aircraft engines or airframe components. (.19) on September 5, 2001, approximately 0715 pacific daylight time, a Beechcraft baron 58, N18414, impacted rising terrain about 10 miles southeast of Ashland, Oregon. The pilot and his two passengers received fatal injuries, and the aircraft, which was owned and operated by the pilot, was destroyed. The 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, which departed Ashland airport about five minutes prior to the accident, was operating in an area where instrument meteorological conditions were reported to exist. According to family members, the flight was en route to scottsdale, Arizona. Although the pilot received a weather briefing for the planned route of flight, no flight plan had been filed. According to pilot-rated witnesses at the Ashland airport, the aircraft departed shortly after 0700. Some of these same witnesses were also getting ready to depart, but had decided to wait for the weather to improve. They said that the aircraft took off to the northwest and made a left downwind departure to the southeast. A short time later, an individual who was hunting in dense fog near pilot rock heard the aircraft pass nearby. According to this individual, as the aircraft got closer, he heard a muffled thud, which he later realized was the aircraft impacting the terrain. About four hours after the impact, the wreckage was inadvertently discovered by an individual who was checking roads and gates in the area.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2001 AT APPROXIMATELY 7:10 AM N18414, A BEECHCRAFT BARON DEPARTED ASHLAND, OREGON ENROUTE TO SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA. THERE WERE TWO PASSENGERS ONBOARD IN ADDITION OT THE PILOT IN COMMAND WHO WAS A 10,000 HOUR PRIVATE PILOT WITH INSTRUMENT PRIVILEGES. FAA RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE PILOT DID NOT POSSESS A VALID MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. THE PILOT DID RECEIVE A WEATHER BRIEFING FROM THE FAA FLIGHT SERVICE STATION BY TELEPHONE PRIOR TO DEPARTURE ALTHOUGH NO VFR OR IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. WITNESSES STATED NO PREFLIGHT RUNUP WAS OBSERVED PRIOR TO TAKEOFF, AND THE PILOT APPEARED TO BE IN A HURRY. SEVERAL CREDIBLE WITNESSES STATED THE WEATHER AT THE ASHLAND, OREGON AIRPORT AND TO THE SOUTH WAS A SOLID 4,500 FOOT OVERCAST LAYER. AT APPROXIMATELY 7:15AM N18414 IMPACTED A MOUNTAIN RIDGE 5 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTH OF THE ASHLAND AIRPORT AT 5,100 FEET MSL. ALL THREE OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE KILLED AND THE BEECHCRAFT AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT REVEAL ANY PRE-IMPACT FAILURES OF THE AIRCRAFT ENGINES OR AIRFRAME COMPONENTS. (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2001, APPROXIMATELY 0715 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECHCRAFT BARON 58, N18414, IMPACTED RISING TERRAIN ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ASHLAND, OREGON. THE PILOT AND HIS TWO PASSENGERS RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES, AND THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED. THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, WHICH DEPARTED ASHLAND AIRPORT ABOUT FIVE MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, WAS OPERATING IN AN AREA WHERE INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED TO EXIST. ACCORDING TO FAMILY MEMBERS, THE FLIGHT WAS EN ROUTE TO SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA. ALTHOUGH THE PILOT RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING FOR THE PLANNED ROUTE OF FLIGHT, NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. ACCORDING TO PILOT-RATED WITNESSES AT THE ASHLAND AIRPORT, THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED SHORTLY AFTER 0700. SOME OF THESE SAME WITNESSES WERE ALSO GETTING READY TO DEPART, BUT HAD DECIDED TO WAIT FOR THE WEATHER TO IMPROVE. THEY SAID THAT THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF TO THE NORTHWEST AND MADE A LEFT DOWNWIND DEPARTURE TO THE SOUTHEAST. A SHORT TIME LATER, AN INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS HUNTING IN DENSE FOG NEAR PILOT ROCK HEARD THE AIRCRAFT PASS NEARBY. ACCORDING TO THIS INDIVIDUAL, AS THE AIRCRAFT GOT CLOSER, HE HEARD A MUFFLED THUD, WHICH HE LATER REALIZED WAS THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTING THE TERRAIN. ABOUT FOUR HOURS AFTER THE IMPACT, THE WRECKAGE WAS INADVERTENTLY DISCOVERED BY AN INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS CHECKING ROADS AND GATES IN THE AREA.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.