What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On February 9, 2003, about 1523, eastern standard time, a Cessna 170A, N9701A, registered to and operated by a private individual, crashed on interstate 75, close to the sheridan street exit, in Davie Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The private pilot and one passenger received serious injuries, and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The flight originated from clewiston, Florida, the same day, about 1415 hours. A witness stated that he and his wife were proceeding southbound on interstate 75, saw the airplane above the car, at an altitude of about 50 to 75 feet. The witness stated he did not hear any engine noise, but saw it's propeller windmilling. The approach as per witness looked normal for landing when all of a sudden the aircraft pitched at a "very hard nose down" attitude. Aircraft impacted left wing first then bounced/skidded, coming to rest on the right side of the southbound lane. Witness stopped car to assist and was the first person on scene to assist injured personnel. Aircraft had impacted utility wires. (.19) on February 9, 2003, about 1523, eastern standard time, a Cessna 170A, N9701A, registered to and operated by a private individual, as a title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, crashed on interstate 75, close to the sheridan street exit, in Davie, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The private-rated pilot and one passenger received serious injuries, and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight originated in clewiston, Florida, the same day, about 1415. A witness stated that he and his wife were proceeding southbound on interstate 75, and they saw the airplane above their car, at an altitude of about 50 to 75 feet. The witness further stated that he did not hear any engine noise coming from the accident airplane, but he saw its propeller windmilling. He said that initially the approach to land on the highway looked normal, then all of a sudden the airplane's attitude changed to that of "a very hard nose down" attitude, and the airplane impacted first on the left wing, then it bounced/skidded, coming to rest on the right hand side of the southbound lane. The witness said that he then stopped his car, and as the first person on the scene, he proceeded to assist the occupants of the airplane. Examination of the accident scene showed that the airplane impacted utility wires which stretched across the highway.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON FEBRUARY 9, 2003, ABOUT 1523, EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 170A, N9701A, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, CRASHED ON INTERSTATE 75, CLOSE TO THE SHERIDAN STREET EXIT, IN DAVIE FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES, AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM CLEWISTON, FLORIDA, THE SAME DAY, ABOUT 1415 HOURS. A WITNESS STATED THAT HE AND HIS WIFE WERE PROCEEDING SOUTHBOUND ON INTERSTATE 75, SAW THE AIRPLANE ABOVE THE CAR, AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 50 TO 75 FEET. THE WITNESS STATED HE DID NOT HEAR ANY ENGINE NOISE, BUT SAW IT'S PROPELLER WINDMILLING. THE APPROACH AS PER WITNESS LOOKED NORMAL FOR LANDING WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED AT A "VERY HARD NOSE DOWN" ATTITUDE. AIRCRAFT IMPACTED LEFT WING FIRST THEN BOUNCED/SKIDDED, COMING TO REST ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SOUTHBOUND LANE. WITNESS STOPPED CAR TO ASSIST AND WAS THE FIRST PERSON ON SCENE TO ASSIST INJURED PERSONNEL. AIRCRAFT HAD IMPACTED UTILITY WIRES. (.19) ON FEBRUARY 9, 2003, ABOUT 1523, EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 170A, N9701A, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED ON INTERSTATE 75, CLOSE TO THE SHERIDAN STREET EXIT, IN DAVIE, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES, AND THE AIRPLANE INCURRED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED IN CLEWISTON, FLORIDA, THE SAME DAY, ABOUT 1415. A WITNESS STATED THAT HE AND HIS WIFE WERE PROCEEDING SOUTHBOUND ON INTERSTATE 75, AND THEY SAW THE AIRPLANE ABOVE THEIR CAR, AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 50 TO 75 FEET. THE WITNESS FURTHER STATED THAT HE DID NOT HEAR ANY ENGINE NOISE COMING FROM THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE, BUT HE SAW ITS PROPELLER WINDMILLING. HE SAID THAT INITIALLY THE APPROACH TO LAND ON THE HIGHWAY LOOKED NORMAL, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE AIRPLANE'S ATTITUDE CHANGED TO THAT OF "A VERY HARD NOSE DOWN" ATTITUDE, AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED FIRST ON THE LEFT WING, THEN IT BOUNCED/SKIDDED, COMING TO REST ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE SOUTHBOUND LANE. THE WITNESS SAID THAT HE THEN STOPPED HIS CAR, AND AS THE FIRST PERSON ON THE SCENE, HE PROCEEDED TO ASSIST THE OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRPLANE. EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SCENE SHOWED THAT THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED UTILITY WIRES WHICH STRETCHED ACROSS THE HIGHWAY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.