What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) N5246T departed runway 14 at Niles mi (3TR) airport with one person on board. N5246T did not establish radio communication with south bend departure after takeoff, but sbn radar tracks indicates that N5246T climbed to altitude of 1,300 feet AGL after departing 3TR, then began a right descending turn and disappeared off the radar scope passing through 700 feet AGL. Sbn ATC advised Michigan state police that they saw a radar target disappear off their radar scope approximately 2-3 miles south of the Niles airport, and that there may be the possibility of a downed aircraft. Aircraft crash site was located approximately 1-1/4 miles southeast of the Niles airport. Aircraft descended into a wooded area, clipping the tops of trees, then impacted the terrain in a wooded area. Aircraft was destroyed on impact and burned. South bend weather was reporting 1-1/2 miles visibility with 300 feet overcast at time of accident. (South bend is located approximately 10 miles south southwest of Niles, MI (3TR). (.19) on March 7, 2002, at 2322 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-140, N5246T, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed on impact with terrain app roximately 1.2 NM southeast of the Jerry Tyler Memorial Airport (3TR), near Niles, Michigan. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot was fatally injured. The flight originated from 3TR en route to the vermillion county airport, near danville, Illinois.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) N5246T DEPARTED RUNWAY 14 AT NILES MI (3TR) AIRPORT WITH ONE PERSON ON BOARD. N5246T DID NOT ESTABLISH RADIO COMMUNICATION WITH SOUTH BEND DEPARTURE AFTER TAKEOFF, BUT SBN RADAR TRACKS INDICATES THAT N5246T CLIMBED TO ALTITUDE OF 1,300 FEET AGL AFTER DEPARTING 3TR, THEN BEGAN A RIGHT DESCENDING TURN AND DISAPPEARED OFF THE RADAR SCOPE PASSING THROUGH 700 FEET AGL. SBN ATC ADVISED MICHIGAN STATE POLICE THAT THEY SAW A RADAR TARGET DISAPPEAR OFF THEIR RADAR SCOPE APPROXIMATELY 2-3 MILES SOUTH OF THE NILES AIRPORT, AND THAT THERE MAY BE THE POSSIBILITY OF A DOWNED AIRCRAFT. AIRCRAFT CRASH SITE WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 1-1/4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE NILES AIRPORT. AIRCRAFT DESCENDED INTO A WOODED AREA, CLIPPING THE TOPS OF TREES, THEN IMPACTED THE TERRAIN IN A WOODED AREA. AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED ON IMPACT AND BURNED. SOUTH BEND WEATHER WAS REPORTING 1-1/2 MILES VISIBILITY WITH 300 FEET OVERCAST AT TIME OF ACCIDENT. (SOUTH BEND IS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF NILES, MI (3TR). (.19) ON MARCH 7, 2002, AT 2322 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-28-140, N5246T, PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED ON IMPACT WITH TERRAIN APP ROXIMATELY 1.2 NM SOUTHEAST OF THE JERRY TYLER MEMORIAL AIRPORT (3TR), NEAR NILES, MICHIGAN. NIGHT INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS NOT OPERATING ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM 3TR EN ROUTE TO THE VERMILLION COUNTY AIRPORT, NEAR DANVILLE, ILLINOIS.
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 N5246T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.