What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) History of flight: on August 16, 2002, about 1135 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-31-350, N680HP, was destroyed when it impacted terrain during a descent near sanderson, west Virginia. The certificated commercial pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that originated from the Charleston international airport (chs), Charleston, south carolina, destined for the Yeager Airport (crw), Charleston, west Virginia. An instrument flight rules flight plan was filed and activated for the positioning flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91. According to witnesses, the pilot flew five passengers from Charleston, west Virginia, to Charleston, south carolina, earlier in the day. The flight was conducted without incident, and once on the ground, the passengers deplaned. After the lineman serviced the airplane with a full load of fuel, he and the pilot had a short conversation. During the conversation, the pilot seemed relaxed, not rushed, and in good health. The conversation ended, the pilot conducted a walk around inspection, and reboarded the airplane for the flight back to Charleston, west Virginia. According to air traffic control data, the airplane departed Charleston, south carolina, and proceeded towards Charleston, west Virginia. Once in the Charleston, west Virginia, area the pilot was given a frequency change from indianapolis center to Charleston approach control. After contacting approach, the pilot was cleared to descend from 8,000 feet MSL to 5,000 feet MSL. According to radar data, after leaving 8,000 feet MSL, the airplane maintained approximately a 500-foot per-minute descent until radar contact was lost at approximately 1,700 feet MSL. During the descent, the airplane's ground track varied between 000 and 024 degrees magnetic, and ground speed varied between 178 and 197 knots. The accident occurred during the hours of daylight. The wreckage was located in a creek at 38 degrees, 21.58 minutes north latitude, 81 degrees, 18.69 minutes west longitude, and an elevation of approximately 860 feet MSL. (-23) after contacting Charleston approach control the pilot was cleared to descend from 8,000 feet MSL to 5,000 feet MSL. According to radar data, after leaving 8,000 feet MSL, the aircraft maintained approximately a 500-foot per-minute descent until radar contact was lost at approximately 1,700 fe et MSL. During the descent, the aircraft's ground track varied between 000 and 024 degrees magnetic, and ground speed varied between 178 and 197 knots. The wreckage was located in a creek at 38 degrees, 21.58 minutes north latitude, 81 degrees, 18.69 minutes west longitude, and an elevation of approximately 860 feet MSL. Initial impact was evidenced by freshly broken tree branches on the crest of a 1,300 foot MSL ridge. The ensuing debris path was approximately 1,450 feet long and ended in a small creek bed.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) HISTORY OF FLIGHT: ON AUGUST 16, 2002, ABOUT 1135 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-31-350, N680HP, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN DURING A DESCENT NEAR SANDERSON, WEST VIRGINIA. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED FROM THE CHARLESTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (CHS), CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, DESTINED FOR THE YEAGER AIRPORT (CRW), CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA. AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED AND ACTIVATED FOR THE POSITIONING FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE PILOT FLEW FIVE PASSENGERS FROM CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA, TO CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, EARLIER IN THE DAY. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED WITHOUT INCIDENT, AND ONCE ON THE GROUND, THE PASSENGERS DEPLANED. AFTER THE LINEMAN SERVICED THE AIRPLANE WITH A FULL LOAD OF FUEL, HE AND THE PILOT HAD A SHORT CONVERSATION. DURING THE CONVERSATION, THE PILOT SEEMED RELAXED, NOT RUSHED, AND IN GOOD HEALTH. THE CONVERSATION ENDED, THE PILOT CONDUCTED A WALK AROUND INSPECTION, AND REBOARDED THE AIRPLANE FOR THE FLIGHT BACK TO CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA. ACCORDING TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL DATA, THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, AND PROCEEDED TOWARDS CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA. ONCE IN THE CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA, AREA THE PILOT WAS GIVEN A FREQUENCY CHANGE FROM INDIANAPOLIS CENTER TO CHARLESTON APPROACH CONTROL. AFTER CONTACTING APPROACH, THE PILOT WAS CLEARED TO DESCEND FROM 8,000 FEET MSL TO 5,000 FEET MSL. ACCORDING TO RADAR DATA, AFTER LEAVING 8,000 FEET MSL, THE AIRPLANE MAINTAINED APPROXIMATELY A 500-FOOT PER-MINUTE DESCENT UNTIL RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AT APPROXIMATELY 1,700 FEET MSL. DURING THE DESCENT, THE AIRPLANE'S GROUND TRACK VARIED BETWEEN 000 AND 024 DEGREES MAGNETIC, AND GROUND SPEED VARIED BETWEEN 178 AND 197 KNOTS. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING THE HOURS OF DAYLIGHT. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN A CREEK AT 38 DEGREES, 21.58 MINUTES NORTH LATITUDE, 81 DEGREES, 18.69 MINUTES WEST LONGITUDE, AND AN ELEVATION OF APPROXIMATELY 860 FEET MSL. (-23) AFTER CONTACTING CHARLESTON APPROACH CONTROL THE PILOT WAS CLEARED TO DESCEND FROM 8,000 FEET MSL TO 5,000 FEET MSL. ACCORDING TO RADAR DATA, AFTER LEAVING 8,000 FEET MSL, THE AIRCRAFT MAINTAINED APPROXIMATELY A 500-FOOT PER-MINUTE DESCENT UNTIL RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AT APPROXIMATELY 1,700 FE ET MSL. DURING THE DESCENT, THE AIRCRAFT'S GROUND TRACK VARIED BETWEEN 000 AND 024 DEGREES MAGNETIC, AND GROUND SPEED VARIED BETWEEN 178 AND 197 KNOTS. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN A CREEK AT 38 DEGREES, 21.58 MINUTES NORTH LATITUDE, 81 DEGREES, 18.69 MINUTES WEST LONGITUDE, AND AN ELEVATION OF APPROXIMATELY 860 FEET MSL. INITIAL IMPACT WAS EVIDENCED BY FRESHLY BROKEN TREE BRANCHES ON THE CREST OF A 1,300 FOOT MSL RIDGE. THE ENSUING DEBRIS PATH WAS APPROXIMATELY 1,450 FEET LONG AND ENDED IN A SMALL CREEK BED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.