20030817022029A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Boeing A75N1 · Tuckasegee, NC · August 17, 2003

Date: August 17, 2003 · 14:00 local
Place: Tuckasegee, NC
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N38998
NTSB investigation: NTSBATL03FA127
Reported as: Boeing A75N1
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 452 total121 in this make and model18 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) A witness standing on the balcony of his home stated he saw the airplane go by below his eye level. He could not see anyone in the backseat (pilot). Less then 2 minutes later, he heard the crash followed by an explosion. There is camera equipment installed in the back seat that requires a person to bend down to switch cameras. The passenger was onboard to assist in fixing cameras. This report will be amended when the passenger is able to talk. (-23 amendment) according to a witness, who stated he saw and heard the aircraft fly by, the engine sounded like it was "missing and backfiring". He watched as the aircraft turned to the left, then heard an impact as it hit the trees. An on-site investigation found the aircraft had impacted several trees just off the end of a field. The aircraft was destroyed by fire.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) A WITNESS STANDING ON THE BALCONY OF HIS HOME STATED HE SAW THE AIRPLANE GO BY BELOW HIS EYE LEVEL. HE COULD NOT SEE ANYONE IN THE BACKSEAT (PILOT). LESS THEN 2 MINUTES LATER, HE HEARD THE CRASH FOLLOWED BY AN EXPLOSION. THERE IS CAMERA EQUIPMENT INSTALLED IN THE BACK SEAT THAT REQUIRES A PERSON TO BEND DOWN TO SWITCH CAMERAS. THE PASSENGER WAS ONBOARD TO ASSIST IN FIXING CAMERAS. THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED WHEN THE PASSENGER IS ABLE TO TALK. (-23 AMENDMENT) ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, WHO STATED HE SAW AND HEARD THE AIRCRAFT FLY BY, THE ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS "MISSING AND BACKFIRING". HE WATCHED AS THE AIRCRAFT TURNED TO THE LEFT, THEN HEARD AN IMPACT AS IT HIT THE TREES. AN ON-SITE INVESTIGATION FOUND THE AIRCRAFT HAD IMPACTED SEVERAL TREES JUST OFF THE END OF A FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ATL03FA127Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportTuckasegee, NCThe pilot's failure to maintain visual lookout which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees. A factor was drug impairment.Aug 17, 2003 · Destroyed