What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On August 4, 2002, at 1336 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-46-350P, N316PM, owned and piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage during an in-flight collision with the terrain following a loss of engine power near Benton Harbor, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 and was on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The pilot and his two passengers were fatally injured. The flight departed joe foss field airport (fsd), sioux falls, south dakota, at 1000 central daylight time, and had the intended destination of toledo express airport (tol), toledo, Ohio. The pilot reported having an engine failure and was given radar vectors to the southwest Michigan regional airport (beh), Benton Harbor, Michigan. The wreckage was located approximately one nautical mile east of runway 27 (5,109 feet by 100 feet, dry asphalt). (-23) aircraft was on an IFR flight plan from souix falls, SD to toledo, oh at FL 190. Pilot reported to chicago center that a/c engine was running rough, then reported that engine had stopped running and seized up. Flight WA s handed off to sbn approach and given radar vectors to beh airport for emergency landing. A/c was vectored for A7 mile final to RW27. A/c crashed about 3/4 of a mile short of the rw in an apple orchard. The a/c broke apart upon impact and the pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. FAA and NTSB were on accident site conducting investigation.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON AUGUST 4, 2002, AT 1336 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-46-350P, N316PM, OWNED AND PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN IN-FLIGHT COLLISION WITH THE TERRAIN FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATING UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AND WAS ON AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT AND HIS TWO PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED JOE FOSS FIELD AIRPORT (FSD), SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA, AT 1000 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, AND HAD THE INTENDED DESTINATION OF TOLEDO EXPRESS AIRPORT (TOL), TOLEDO, OHIO. THE PILOT REPORTED HAVING AN ENGINE FAILURE AND WAS GIVEN RADAR VECTORS TO THE SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN REGIONAL AIRPORT (BEH), BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY ONE NAUTICAL MILE EAST OF RUNWAY 27 (5,109 FEET BY 100 FEET, DRY ASPHALT). (-23) AIRCRAFT WAS ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN FROM SOUIX FALLS, SD TO TOLEDO, OH AT FL 190. PILOT REPORTED TO CHICAGO CENTER THAT A/C ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH, THEN REPORTED THAT ENGINE HAD STOPPED RUNNING AND SEIZED UP. FLIGHT WA S HANDED OFF TO SBN APPROACH AND GIVEN RADAR VECTORS TO BEH AIRPORT FOR EMERGENCY LANDING. A/C WAS VECTORED FOR A7 MILE FINAL TO RW27. A/C CRASHED ABOUT 3/4 OF A MILE SHORT OF THE RW IN AN APPLE ORCHARD. THE A/C BROKE APART UPON IMPACT AND THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. FAA AND NTSB WERE ON ACCIDENT SITE CONDUCTING INVESTIGATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.