What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On December 14, 2002, about 1133 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-150, registration N5899W owned and operated by Mr. Garfield e. humphreys while on a part 91 flight originating in nashville, TN with one passenger crashed about five to six miles west of Cashiers, NC impacting whiteside mountain at approximately a 4200 feet MSL level. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area at the time of the accident. Both avl and rhp stations reported these VFR conditions. Mr. Humphreys stated while at cruise at 7500 feet he noted some clouds and to remain VFR he initiated a climb to 9500 feet. During his climb to 9500 he recognized greenville, SC approximately thirty (30) miles in the distance. Mr. Humphries advised atlanta air route traffic control center (ARTCC) that he would be initiating a descent in VFR conditions to greenville, SC. Mr. Humphreys stated that in his descent, he recalled advising center of his descent and didn't remember anything else until exiting the aircraft that impacted trees on the hillside of whiteside mountain. Additionally, he could only presume he accumulated clear ice in the descent which caused the aircraft to stall. The scene indicated a flight path through the tree tops to a point where the aircraft slowed and stopped permitting the nose of the aircraft to drop straight down and fall through the trees to a height of approximately five (5) feet above the ground. The passenger, privacy data omitted gave separate testimony during this inspector's interview basically confirming the testimony of Mr. Humphrey's.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON DECEMBER 14, 2002, ABOUT 1133 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-28-150, REGISTRATION N5899W OWNED AND OPERATED BY MR. GARFIELD E. HUMPHREYS WHILE ON A PART 91 FLIGHT ORIGINATING IN NASHVILLE, TN WITH ONE PASSENGER CRASHED ABOUT FIVE TO SIX MILES WEST OF CASHIERS, NC IMPACTING WHITESIDE MOUNTAIN AT APPROXIMATELY A 4200 FEET MSL LEVEL. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. BOTH AVL AND RHP STATIONS REPORTED THESE VFR CONDITIONS. MR. HUMPHREYS STATED WHILE AT CRUISE AT 7500 FEET HE NOTED SOME CLOUDS AND TO REMAIN VFR HE INITIATED A CLIMB TO 9500 FEET. DURING HIS CLIMB TO 9500 HE RECOGNIZED GREENVILLE, SC APPROXIMATELY THIRTY (30) MILES IN THE DISTANCE. MR. HUMPHRIES ADVISED ATLANTA AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER (ARTCC) THAT HE WOULD BE INITIATING A DESCENT IN VFR CONDITIONS TO GREENVILLE, SC. MR. HUMPHREYS STATED THAT IN HIS DESCENT, HE RECALLED ADVISING CENTER OF HIS DESCENT AND DIDN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING ELSE UNTIL EXITING THE AIRCRAFT THAT IMPACTED TREES ON THE HILLSIDE OF WHITESIDE MOUNTAIN. ADDITIONALLY, HE COULD ONLY PRESUME HE ACCUMULATED CLEAR ICE IN THE DESCENT WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO STALL. THE SCENE INDICATED A FLIGHT PATH THROUGH THE TREE TOPS TO A POINT WHERE THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED AND STOPPED PERMITTING THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO DROP STRAIGHT DOWN AND FALL THROUGH THE TREES TO A HEIGHT OF APPROXIMATELY FIVE (5) FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE PASSENGER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMIT^ GAVE SEPARATE TESTIMONY DURING THIS INSPECTOR'S INTERVIEW BASICALLY CONFIRMING THE TESTIMONY OF MR. HUMPHREY'S.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.