What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On April 27, 2002, at about 1406 EDT, a Beech D-35, N2152D, registered to a private owner, operating as a 14 CFR 91 personal flight, experienced an inflight break up in the vicinity of Warsaw, north carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed and the commercial pilot and one passenger sustained fatal injuries. (.4) history of flight: on April 27, 2002, at about 1406 eastern daylight time, a Beech BE-35, N2152D, registered to a private owner, operating as a 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, experienced an in-flight break up near Warsaw, north carolina. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site. No flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed. The commercial pilot and one passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane departed greenville, north carolina, at 1231. According to data extracted from a garmin GPS iii pilot handheld unit, recovered from the wreckage, the flight initially departed selkirk, new york at 0820, landed in greenville, north carolina, at 1202, and departed greenville, north carolina, at 1231. Accor ding to recovered radar data, at 1405:44, the flight was observed in a right turn at 9000 feet. At 1405:54, the flight was last observed on radar at 4,400 feet. At 1405 the garmin GPS iii pilot confirmed that the flight was in a very tight right turn at its' last data extraction. The pilot did not establish radio contact with the air traffic control system. According to two witnesses near the accident site stated that while working in a flowerbed they heard an airplane. A short time later, they twice heard a noise that sounded like thunder. When they heard the noise the second time, they also heard what sounded like an engine sputtering. They looked up to see the airplane but it was initially blocked from view by dark clouds. They ran to the other side of the house where they heard the engine cutting in and out. One witness stated that she saw the airplane blown up and saw it tumbling. The witness observed both wings attached to the airplane, as the airplane started spiraling towards the ground and disappeared from view behind trees.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON APRIL 27, 2002, AT ABOUT 1406 EDT, A BEECH D-35, N2152D, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE OWNER, OPERATING AS A 14 CFR 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, EXPERIENCED AN INFLIGHT BREAK UP IN THE VICINITY OF WARSAW, NORTH CAROLINA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED AND THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. (.4) HISTORY OF FLIGHT: ON APRIL 27, 2002, AT ABOUT 1406 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECH BE-35, N2152D, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE OWNER, OPERATING AS A 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, EXPERIENCED AN IN-FLIGHT BREAK UP NEAR WARSAW, NORTH CAROLINA. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED GREENVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, AT 1231. ACCORDING TO DATA EXTRACTED FROM A GARMIN GPS III PILOT HANDHELD UNIT, RECOVERED FROM THE WRECKAGE, THE FLIGHT INITIALLY DEPARTED SELKIRK, NEW YORK AT 0820, LANDED IN GREENVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, AT 1202, AND DEPARTED GREENVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, AT 1231. ACCOR DING TO RECOVERED RADAR DATA, AT 1405:44, THE FLIGHT WAS OBSERVED IN A RIGHT TURN AT 9000 FEET. AT 1405:54, THE FLIGHT WAS LAST OBSERVED ON RADAR AT 4,400 FEET. AT 1405 THE GARMIN GPS III PILOT CONFIRMED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS IN A VERY TIGHT RIGHT TURN AT ITS' LAST DATA EXTRACTION. THE PILOT DID NOT ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT WITH THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM. ACCORDING TO TWO WITNESSES NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE STATED THAT WHILE WORKING IN A FLOWERBED THEY HEARD AN AIRPLANE. A SHORT TIME LATER, THEY TWICE HEARD A NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE THUNDER. WHEN THEY HEARD THE NOISE THE SECOND TIME, THEY ALSO HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE AN ENGINE SPUTTERING. THEY LOOKED UP TO SEE THE AIRPLANE BUT IT WAS INITIALLY BLOCKED FROM VIEW BY DARK CLOUDS. THEY RAN TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HOUSE WHERE THEY HEARD THE ENGINE CUTTING IN AND OUT. ONE WITNESS STATED THAT SHE SAW THE AIRPLANE BLOWN UP AND SAW IT TUMBLING. THE WITNESS OBSERVED BOTH WINGS ATTACHED TO THE AIRPLANE, AS THE AIRPLANE STARTED SPIRALING TOWARDS THE GROUND AND DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW BEHIND TREES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.