What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The aircraft had attempted three approaches to winston-salem (int). It then diverted to gso for an approach to rwy 23. Radar contact was lost inthe vicinity of the rwy 23 outer marker. The wreckage was located just inside the rwy 23 outer marker. The aircraft struck trees and came to rest at approximately 80-90 deg right wing down and 37-40 deg. Nose down. The cabin and engine imbedded itself into soft mud 4 to 6 feet. The prop was folded back along the sides of the engine. There was evidence of rotation but no indication of power. The initial ems/fire team that located the aircraft stated there was no fire and only a very faint smell of fuel. The impression made by the aircraft filled with water overnight and the next morning there was no indication of fuel and only slight fish-eye residue in the water, which could not be attributed to the rupture of the hydraulic system as well. The engine was disassembled on sight by the Lycoming rep (e. rogalski) and there was no pre-impact damage found that would indicate a mechanical failure of the engine. (.19) on October 25, 2002, at 1339 eastern standard time, a Cessna 182R, N4 629S, registered to and operated by a private pilot, collided with terrain while being vectored for approach into Piedmont Triad International Airport, Greensboro, north carolina. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91 with an instrument flight plan filed. Instrument metrological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The private pilot and his two passengers were fatally injured. The flight departed bartow municipal airport, bartow, Florida at 0908. The airplane was on an instrument cross-country flight to smith reynolds airport, winston salem, north carolina. During the first approach into smith reynolds airport, the pilot became disorientated, and executed a missed approach. The pilot made two more attempts to land at smith reynolds airport, and then diverted to raleigh durham international airport. Enroute to raleigh durham international airport the pilot was concerned about his fuel supply and decided to divert to Piedmont Triad International Airport, Greensboro, north carolina. While the airplane was being radar vectored for the runway 23-localizer radar contact was lost at 1339. The airplane was located in a heavily wooded swampy area near the outermarker; the airplane was found in a nose down attitude. The trees at the accident site displayed freshly broken branches. The accident site was approximately 25 feet in diameter. All flight control surfaces were located at the site. The fuselage was buried in approximately 10 feet of mud and water. The horizontal and vertical stabilizer were protruding approximately 90 degrees above the ground.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE AIRCRAFT HAD ATTEMPTED THREE APPROACHES TO WINSTON-SALEM (INT). IT THEN DIVERTED TO GSO FOR AN APPROACH TO RWY 23. RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST INTHE VICINITY OF THE RWY 23 OUTER MARKER. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED JUST INSIDE THE RWY 23 OUTER MARKER. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK TREES AND CAME TO REST AT APPROXIMATELY 80-90 DEG RIGHT WING DOWN AND 37-40 DEG. NOSE DOWN. THE CABIN AND ENGINE IMBEDDED ITSELF INTO SOFT MUD 4 TO 6 FEET. THE PROP WAS FOLDED BACK ALONG THE SIDES OF THE ENGINE. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF ROTATION BUT NO INDICATION OF POWER. THE INITIAL EMS/FIRE TEAM THAT LOCATED THE AIRCRAFT STATED THERE WAS NO FIRE AND ONLY A VERY FAINT SMELL OF FUEL. THE IMPRESSION MADE BY THE AIRCRAFT FILLED WITH WATER OVERNIGHT AND THE NEXT MORNING THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF FUEL AND ONLY SLIGHT FISH-EYE RESIDUE IN THE WATER, WHICH COULD NOT BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE RUPTURE OF THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM AS WELL. THE ENGINE WAS DISASSEMBLED ON SIGHT BY THE LYCOMING REP (E. ROGALSKI) AND THERE WAS NO PRE-IMPACT DAMAGE FOUND THAT WOULD INDICATE A MECHANICAL FAILURE OF THE ENGINE. (.19) ON OCTOBER 25, 2002, AT 1339 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 182R, N4 629S, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR APPROACH INTO PIEDMONT TRIAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WITH AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN FILED. INSTRUMENT METROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS TWO PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED BARTOW MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, BARTOW, FLORIDA AT 0908. THE AIRPLANE WAS ON AN INSTRUMENT CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT TO SMITH REYNOLDS AIRPORT, WINSTON SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA. DURING THE FIRST APPROACH INTO SMITH REYNOLDS AIRPORT, THE PILOT BECAME DISORIENTATED, AND EXECUTED A MISSED APPROACH. THE PILOT MADE TWO MORE ATTEMPTS TO LAND AT SMITH REYNOLDS AIRPORT, AND THEN DIVERTED TO RALEIGH DURHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. ENROUTE TO RALEIGH DURHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT THE PILOT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HIS FUEL SUPPLY AND DECIDED TO DIVERT TO PIEDMONT TRIAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA. WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING RADAR VECTORED FOR THE RUNWAY 23-LOCALIZER RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AT 1339. THE AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED IN A HEAVILY WOODED SWAMPY AREA NEAR THE OUTERMARKER; THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE TREES AT THE ACCIDENT SITE DISPLAYED FRESHLY BROKEN BRANCHES. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS APPROXIMATELY 25 FEET IN DIAMETER. ALL FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES WERE LOCATED AT THE SITE. THE FUSELAGE WAS BURIED IN APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET OF MUD AND WATER. THE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL STABILIZER WERE PROTRUDING APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES ABOVE THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.