What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On September 1, 2002, at 0635 eastern daylight time, an unregistered Grumman American AA5B, N81189, operated by a private pilot collided with trees and a family home while on approach to Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, Florida. The personal flight operated under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91 with no flight plan filed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was destroyed, and the private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The flight departed Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, Zephyrhills, Florida, at an undetermined time. Witnesses near the accident site stated they heard an airplane flying low over the neighborhood prior to the approximate time of the accident. Shortly after hearing the low flying airplane, witnesses said the engine stopped and an explosion was heard. Upon investigating the explosion, witnesses discover a nearby home engulfed in flames. Witnesses stated that foggy weather conditions were present and it was very dark night. Upon arriving at the accident site, witnesses confirmed that a small airplane had collided with the home. Examination of the wreckage site revealed a wreckage path of approximately 350 feet in length on a 180-degree heading. Examination of the accident site revealed that there was a freshly broken 50- foot tall trees at the beginning of the wreckage path. The right aileron was located at the base of the tree. The right wing tip was located approximately 50 feet from the aileron. The left wing tip was located in a tree along the wreckage path. The first ground scar was noted 200 feet from the initial impact point. The foliage in the area of the ground scar showed signs of intense heat. The engine was located 30 feet from the ground scar resting on a house. The home sustained fire damage, the airplane fuselage was located in the rear of the home. (-23) on September 1, 2002, at 6:35 am, N81189, a Grumman American AA-5B, operated on a pleasure flight, crashed into a residence in Zephyrhills, Florida 33540. The flight was fatal for both the pilot and passenger, and the aircraft was totally destroyed. IFR conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (zph), Zephyrhills, Florida 33540, on September 1, 2002 at an estimated time of 6:00 am.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2002, AT 0635 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN UNREGISTERED GRUMMAN AMERICAN AA5B, N81189, OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT COLLIDED WITH TREES AND A FAMILY HOME WHILE ON APPROACH TO ZEPHYRHILLS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, FLORIDA. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WITH NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED, AND THE PRIVATE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED ZEPHYRHILLS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, ZEPHYRHILLS, FLORIDA, AT AN UNDETERMINED TIME. WITNESSES NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE STATED THEY HEARD AN AIRPLANE FLYING LOW OVER THE NEIGHBORHOOD PRIOR TO THE APPROXIMATE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. SHORTLY AFTER HEARING THE LOW FLYING AIRPLANE, WITNESSES SAID THE ENGINE STOPPED AND AN EXPLOSION WAS HEARD. UPON INVESTIGATING THE EXPLOSION, WITNESSES DISCOVER A NEARBY HOME ENGULFED IN FLAMES. WITNESSES STATED THAT FOGGY WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE PRESENT AND IT WAS VERY DARK NIGHT. UPON ARRIVING AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, WITNESSES CONFIRMED THAT A SMALL AIRPLANE HAD COLLIDED WITH THE HOME. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE SITE REVEALED A WRECKAGE PATH OF APPROXIMATELY 350 FEET IN LENGTH ON A 180-DEGREE HEADING. EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED THAT THERE WAS A FRESHLY BROKEN 50- FOOT TALL TREES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE WRECKAGE PATH. THE RIGHT AILERON WAS LOCATED AT THE BASE OF THE TREE. THE RIGHT WING TIP WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET FROM THE AILERON. THE LEFT WING TIP WAS LOCATED IN A TREE ALONG THE WRECKAGE PATH. THE FIRST GROUND SCAR WAS NOTED 200 FEET FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT. THE FOLIAGE IN THE AREA OF THE GROUND SCAR SHOWED SIGNS OF INTENSE HEAT. THE ENGINE WAS LOCATED 30 FEET FROM THE GROUND SCAR RESTING ON A HOUSE. THE HOME SUSTAINED FIRE DAMAGE, THE AIRPLANE FUSELAGE WAS LOCATED IN THE REAR OF THE HOME. (-23) ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2002, AT 6:35 AM, N81189, A GRUMMAN AMERICAN AA-5B, OPERATED ON A PLEASURE FLIGHT, CRASHED INTO A RESIDENCE IN ZEPHYRHILLS, FLORIDA 33540. THE FLIGHT WAS FATAL FOR BOTH THE PILOT AND PASSENGER, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED. IFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT ZEPHYRHILLS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (ZPH), ZEPHYRHILLS, FLORIDA 33540, ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2002 AT AN ESTIMATED TIME OF 6:00 AM.
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 N81189 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.