What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On March 9, 2002, a Piper PA-28-160, N160D, registered to and operated by the pilot, collided with the ground at 0453 eastern standard time while maneuvering for an instrument approach to the Greenwood County Airport (grd), SC. The aircraft was destroyed after impacting terrain in laurens, SC, approximately 14 nautical miles north (bearing 004) of the intended destination, Greenwood County Airport. The instrument rated pilot and his passenger received fatal injuries. The aircraft had departed harrison county airport (8G6) at 0130. The cloud ceiling reported at grd was 600 feet at 0456 eastern standard time. Examination of the aircraft propeller, spinner, and scoring of other components indicate the aircraft engine was operational at impact. (.19) on March 9, 2002, at 0453 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-160, N160D, registered to and operated by the pilot, collided with the ground while maneuvering for an instrument approach to the Greenwood airport near laurens, south carolina. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91 with an instrument flight plan. Instrument weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The private pilot and his passenger received fatal injuries. The airplane was destroyed. The flight departed harrison county, Ohio, at 0130. According to an ear-witness, at approximately 0450 he heard the sound of an airplane circling near his home. Another witness stated that the sound of the engine running was heard throughout the entire time the airplane was overhead. Several minutes later, a "loud thud" was heard. When the witness looked outside his home in the direction of the thud, he did not see anything. The witness also observed a foggy weather condition as he looked in the direction of the thud. At approximate the same time, atlanta center reported a loss of radar contact with N160D. The downed airplane was located several hours later following a ground and air search. Examination of the accident site showed that wreckage debris was scattered over an area 110 feet long and 30 feet wide. The wreckage path was oriented on a 005 degree magnetic heading. Further examination of the of the accident site revealed that the engine and propeller assemblies were buried about four feet into the ground in a near perpendicular nose downattitude.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON MARCH 9, 2002, A PIPER PA-28-160, N160D, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND AT 0453 EASTERN STANDARD TIME WHILE MANEUVERING FOR AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO THE GREENWOOD COUNTY AIRPORT (GRD), SC. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AFTER IMPACTING TERRAIN IN LAURENS, SC, APPROXIMATELY 14 NAUTICAL MILES NORTH (BEARING 004) OF THE INTENDED DESTINATION, GREENWOOD COUNTY AIRPORT. THE INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT HAD DEPARTED HARRISON COUNTY AIRPORT (8G6) AT 0130. THE CLOUD CEILING REPORTED AT GRD WAS 600 FEET AT 0456 EASTERN STANDARD TIME. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT PROPELLER, SPINNER, AND SCORING OF OTHER COMPONENTS INDICATE THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE WAS OPERATIONAL AT IMPACT. (.19) ON MARCH 9, 2002, AT 0453 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-28-160, N160D, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND WHILE MANEUVERING FOR AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO THE GREENWOOD AIRPORT NEAR LAURENS, SOUTH CAROLINA. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WITH AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN. INSTRUMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED HARRISON COUNTY, OHIO, AT 0130. ACCORDING TO AN EAR-WITNESS, AT APPROXIMATELY 0450 HE HEARD THE SOUND OF AN AIRPLANE CIRCLING NEAR HIS HOME. ANOTHER WITNESS STATED THAT THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE RUNNING WAS HEARD THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE TIME THE AIRPLANE WAS OVERHEAD. SEVERAL MINUTES LATER, A "LOUD THUD" WAS HEARD. WHEN THE WITNESS LOOKED OUTSIDE HIS HOME IN THE DIRECTION OF THE THUD, HE DID NOT SEE ANYTHING. THE WITNESS ALSO OBSERVED A FOGGY WEATHER CONDITION AS HE LOOKED IN THE DIRECTION OF THE THUD. AT APPROXIMATE THE SAME TIME, ATLANTA CENTER REPORTED A LOSS OF RADAR CONTACT WITH N160D. THE DOWNED AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED SEVERAL HOURS LATER FOLLOWING A GROUND AND AIR SEARCH. EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE SHOWED THAT WRECKAGE DEBRIS WAS SCATTERED OVER AN AREA 110 FEET LONG AND 30 FEET WIDE. THE WRECKAGE PATH WAS ORIENTED ON A 005 DEGREE MAGNETIC HEADING. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER ASSEMBLIES WERE BURIED ABOUT FOUR FEET INTO THE GROUND IN A NEAR PERPENDICULAR NOSE DOWNATTITUDE.
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 N160D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.