What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Departed Sevierville/Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge (gkt) airport on a VFR flight to his home base in van wet, Ohio. Witnesses state the aircraft engine sounded like it was missing on take-off and the pilot attempted to return to the gkt airport but lost control and nose dived into the ground. Aircraft was consumed in the resulting fire. (.19) on April 6, 2002, about 0950 eastern standard time, a homebuilt monnett moni, N10GZ, registered to a private individual, crashed shortly after takeoff in a wooded area approximately 1/2 nautical mile west of the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport, Sevierville, Tennessee. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight originated about 1 minute earlier. A student pilot who was at the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport for a solo cross-country flight reported that while performing an engine run-up, he observed the accident airplane taxi into position behind his airplane. He (student pilot) completed his run-up and taxied his airplane to the approach end of runway 28 to have all available runway for takeoff. While he was at the approach end of the runway, the accident pilot taxied onto the runway ahead of him and began to takeoff from runway 28. He began his takeoff roll when the accident airplane was approximately 75 feet above ground level (AGL) on the upwind leg, and he observed the accident airplane turning crosswind. When the accident airplane was more than 1/2 way into the crosswind turn, the airplane was observed to bank "sharp" to the left. The airplane was then observed by the student pilot to pitch nose down and impacted the ground. A witness on the airport reported seeing the airplane depart and last recalled seeing the airplane at 20 feet AGL; he reported he did not hear any engine malfunction at that time. According to an FAA inspector who examined the accident site, the airplane descended nearly vertical in a wooded area. A postcrash fire occurred after impact. (.4) history of flight: on April 6, 2002, about 0950 eastern standard time, a homebuilt monnett moni, N10GZ, registered to a private individual, crashed in a wooded area approximately 1/2 nautical mile west of the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport, Sevierville, Tennessee, shortly after takeoff. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight originated about 1 minute earlier. Before the flight departed the pilot was observed to change the two spark plugs and reported to an individual that he wasn't feeling well. A witness reported that when the airplane was taking off, "his (engine) was missing." Another witness who was watching the airplane takeoff reported it appeared to him that the airplane wasn't gaining any altitude. When the airplane was at the departure end of the runway, it appeared that the pilot was attempting to "turn around." Still another witness reported seeing the airplane, "began to bank to the left almost as if the plane had stalled. The plane made a very sharp turn and headed straight down." (See witness statements.) A student pilot who was at the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport for a solo cross-country flight reported that while performing an engine run-up, he observed the accident airplane taxi into position behind his airplane. He (student pilot) completed his run-up and taxied his airplane to the approach end of runway 28 to have all available runway for takeoff. While he was at the approach end of the runway, the accident pilot taxied onto the runway ahead of him and began to takeoff from runway 28. He began his takeoff roll when the accident airplane was approximately 75 feet above ground level (AGL) on the upwind leg, and he observed the accident airplane turning crosswind. When the accident airplane was more than 1/2 way into the crosswind turn, the airplane was observed to bank "sharp" to the left. The airplane was then observed by the student pilot to pitch nose down and impacted the ground. Another witness on the airport reported seeing the airplane depart and last recalled seeing the airplane at 20 feet AGL; he reported he did not hear any engine malfunction at that time (see NTSB record of conversation with the individual). A postcrash fire was extinguished using water by the Sevierville fire department.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) DEPARTED SEVIERVILLE/GATLINBURG-PIGEON FORGE (GKT) AIRPORT ON A VFR FLIGHT TO HIS HOME BASE IN VAN WET, OHIO. WITNESSES STATE THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS MISSING ON TAKE-OFF AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE GKT AIRPORT BUT LOST CONTROL AND NOSE DIVED INTO THE GROUND. AIRCRAFT WAS CONSUMED IN THE RESULTING FIRE. (.19) ON APRIL 6, 2002, ABOUT 0950 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A HOMEBUILT MONNETT MONI, N10GZ, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, CRASHED SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF IN A WOODED AREA APPROXIMATELY 1/2 NAUTICAL MILE WEST OF THE GATLINBURG-PIGEON FORGE AIRPORT, SEVIERVILLE, TENNESSEE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 1 MINUTE EARLIER. A STUDENT PILOT WHO WAS AT THE GATLINBURG-PIGEON FORGE AIRPORT FOR A SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT REPORTED THAT WHILE PERFORMING AN ENGINE RUN-UP, HE OBSERVED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE TAXI INTO POSITION BEHIND HIS AIRPLANE. HE (STUDENT PILOT) COMPLETED HIS RUN-UP AND TAXIED HIS AIRPLANE TO THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 28 TO HAVE ALL AVAILABLE RUNWAY FOR TAKEOFF. WHILE HE WAS AT THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY, THE ACCIDENT PILOT TAXIED ONTO THE RUNWAY AHEAD OF HIM AND BEGAN TO TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 28. HE BEGAN HIS TAKEOFF ROLL WHEN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS APPROXIMATELY 75 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) ON THE UPWIND LEG, AND HE OBSERVED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE TURNING CROSSWIND. WHEN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS MORE THAN 1/2 WAY INTO THE CROSSWIND TURN, THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO BANK "SHARP" TO THE LEFT. THE AIRPLANE WAS THEN OBSERVED BY THE STUDENT PILOT TO PITCH NOSE DOWN AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. A WITNESS ON THE AIRPORT REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE DEPART AND LAST RECALLED SEEING THE AIRPLANE AT 20 FEET AGL; HE REPORTED HE DID NOT HEAR ANY ENGINE MALFUNCTION AT THAT TIME. ACCORDING TO AN FAA INSPECTOR WHO EXAMINED THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED NEARLY VERTICAL IN A WOODED AREA. A POSTCRASH FIRE OCCURRED AFTER IMPACT. (.4) HISTORY OF FLIGHT: ON APRIL 6, 2002, ABOUT 0950 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A HOMEBUILT MONNETT MONI, N10GZ, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, CRASHED IN A WOODED AREA APPROXIMATELY 1/2 NAUTICAL MILE WEST OF THE GATLINBURG-PIGEON FORGE AIRPORT, SEVIERVILLE, TENNESSEE, SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 1 MINUTE EARLIER. BEFORE THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE PILOT WAS OBSERVED TO CHANGE THE TWO SPARK PLUGS AND REPORTED TO AN INDIVIDUAL THAT HE WASN'T FEELING WELL. A WITNESS REPORTED THAT WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS TAKING OFF, "HIS (ENGINE) WAS MISSING." ANOTHER WITNESS WHO WAS WATCHING THE AIRPLANE TAKEOFF REPORTED IT APPEARED TO HIM THAT THE AIRPLANE WASN'T GAINING ANY ALTITUDE. WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, IT APPEARED THAT THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO "TURN AROUND." STILL ANOTHER WITNESS REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE, "BEGAN TO BANK TO THE LEFT ALMOST AS IF THE PLANE HAD STALLED. THE PLANE MADE A VERY SHARP TURN AND HEADED STRAIGHT DOWN." (SEE WITNESS STATEMENTS.) A STUDENT PILOT WHO WAS AT THE GATLINBURG-PIGEON FORGE AIRPORT FOR A SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT REPORTED THAT WHILE PERFORMING AN ENGINE RUN-UP, HE OBSERVED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE TAXI INTO POSITION BEHIND HIS AIRPLANE. HE (STUDENT PILOT) COMPLETED HIS RUN-UP AND TAXIED HIS AIRPLANE TO THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 28 TO HAVE ALL AVAILABLE RUNWAY FOR TAKEOFF. WHILE HE WAS AT THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY, THE ACCIDENT PILOT TAXIED ONTO THE RUNWAY AHEAD OF HIM AND BEGAN TO TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 28. HE BEGAN HIS TAKEOFF ROLL WHEN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS APPROXIMATELY 75 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) ON THE UPWIND LEG, AND HE OBSERVED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE TURNING CROSSWIND. WHEN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS MORE THAN 1/2 WAY INTO THE CROSSWIND TURN, THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO BANK "SHARP" TO THE LEFT. THE AIRPLANE WAS THEN OBSERVED BY THE STUDENT PILOT TO PITCH NOSE DOWN AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. ANOTHER WITNESS ON THE AIRPORT REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE DEPART AND LAST RECALLED SEEING THE AIRPLANE AT 20 FEET AGL; HE REPORTED HE DID NOT HEAR ANY ENGINE MALFUNCTION AT THAT TIME (SEE NTSB RECORD OF CONVERSATION WITH THE INDIVIDUAL). A POSTCRASH FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED USING WATER BY THE SEVIERVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.