What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The accident aircraft was registered to and operated by the pilot. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot and the commercial rated passenger received fatal injuries and the aircraft was destroyed. The accident flight departed richard b. russell airport (krmg), Rome, Georgia at approximately 1840 on August 17, 2003. The aircraft had flown to russell airport from cartersville airport (kvpc), cartersville, Georgia where it was based. A witness positioned approximately one mile southwest of the accident site reported seeing the aircraft flying from the north at approximately 1,500 feet above the ground. The witness stated that he heard the aircraft approaching again 30 to 40 minutes later and heard the engine "die, RPM down". Four to five seconds later, he heard it restart and "RPM up". He stated that he observed the aircraft make a left turn and proceed to the northeast towards the accident site at approximately 1,000 feet AGL and descending. He stated that as the aircraft turned he saw fire streak back from the underside of the engine cowling. With his wife, this witness immediately got in his truck and began a search for the aircraft intending to offer assistance. The witness estimated that it took 1 to 1 1/2 hours to locate the aircraft. He stated that upon arrival at the accident site there was no smoke or fire and no odor of fuel. The pilot was found in the cockpit with his lap belt fastened. The passenger had been thrown from the aircraft and was found approximately fifty feet northeast of the aircraft cabin. Both occupants suffered fatal injuries upon impact. The witness stated that his wife used her mobile telephone to notify the local authorities of the accident and its location. On site investigation revealed that the aircraft impacted the ground with wings level and a nose down angle of approximately seventy degrees. The aircraft came to rest inverted opposed to the direction of flight. The fuel tanks were breached and there was no evidence of fuel spillage or fire. The passenger seat belt appeared to be sound and functional; the latching mechanism operated normally and was not fastened.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WITH NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE PILOT AND THE COMMERCIAL RATED PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT DEPARTED RICHARD B. RUSSELL AIRPORT (KRMG), ROME, GEORGIA AT APPROXIMATELY 1840 ON AUGUST 17, 2003. THE AIRCRAFT HAD FLOWN TO RUSSELL AIRPORT FROM CARTERSVILLE AIRPORT (KVPC), CARTERSVILLE, GEORGIA WHERE IT WAS BASED. A WITNESS POSITIONED APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE SOUTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED SEEING THE AIRCRAFT FLYING FROM THE NORTH AT APPROXIMATELY 1,500 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE WITNESS STATED THAT HE HEARD THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHING AGAIN 30 TO 40 MINUTES LATER AND HEARD THE ENGINE "DIE, RPM DOWN". FOUR TO FIVE SECONDS LATER, HE HEARD IT RESTART AND "RPM UP". HE STATED THAT HE OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT MAKE A LEFT TURN AND PROCEED TO THE NORTHEAST TOWARDS THE ACCIDENT SITE AT APPROXIMATELY 1,000 FEET AGL AND DESCENDING. HE STATED THAT AS THE AIRCRAFT TURNED HE SAW FIRE STREAK BACK FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF THE ENGINE COWLING. WITH HIS WIFE, THIS WITNESS IMMEDIATELY GOT IN HIS TRUCK AND BEGAN A SEARCH FOR THE AIRCRAFT INTENDING TO OFFER ASSISTANCE. THE WITNESS ESTIMATED THAT IT TOOK 1 TO 1 1/2 HOURS TO LOCATE THE AIRCRAFT. HE STATED THAT UPON ARRIVAL AT THE ACCIDENT SITE THERE WAS NO SMOKE OR FIRE AND NO ODOR OF FUEL. THE PILOT WAS FOUND IN THE COCKPIT WITH HIS LAP BELT FASTENED. THE PASSENGER HAD BEEN THROWN FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY FIFTY FEET NORTHEAST OF THE AIRCRAFT CABIN. BOTH OCCUPANTS SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES UPON IMPACT. THE WITNESS STATED THAT HIS WIFE USED HER MOBILE TELEPHONE TO NOTIFY THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES OF THE ACCIDENT AND ITS LOCATION. ON SITE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND WITH WINGS LEVEL AND A NOSE DOWN ANGLE OF APPROXIMATELY SEVENTY DEGREES. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST INVERTED OPPOSED TO THE DIRECTION OF FLIGHT. THE FUEL TANKS WERE BREACHED AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL SPILLAGE OR FIRE. THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT APPEARED TO BE SOUND AND FUNCTIONAL; THE LATCHING MECHANISM OPERATED NORMALLY AND WAS NOT FASTENED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.