What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Inspector's statement: on September 13, 2003 aircraft N2764W departed jackson county airport, jefferson, Georgia for garvey field, a private grass strip in Monticello, Georgia. According to macon flight service, no flight plan and no weather report was requested by aircraft N2764W. The flight operated under title 14 CFR part 91, and visual flight rules. At the time of the accident instrument meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot's certificate shows a private license with no instrument rating. According to a witness who was walking in the area, the visibility was restricted due to heavy fog. The witness stated he could hear, but barely see an aircraft flying above him at a low altitude. After passing overhead the aircraft headed toward a wooded hill and he heard the aircraft crash into the wooded area. The terrain approximately 1/2 mile west of garvey field rises rapidly to approximately 900 feet. Examination of the wreckage showed that the aircraft struck several large diameter trees before coming to a rest approximately 40 yards from the first tree impact. The cabin of the fuselage was observed wedged between two trees on a heading of approximately 220 degrees. The pilot received fatal injuries and the airplane sustained substantial damage. Atlanta air salvage recovered the aircraft and took it to griffin, Georgia for further examination.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) INSPECTOR'S STATEMENT: ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2003 AIRCRAFT N2764W DEPARTED JACKSON COUNTY AIRPORT, JEFFERSON, GEORGIA FOR GARVEY FIELD, A PRIVATE GRASS STRIP IN MONTICELLO, GEORGIA. ACCORDING TO MACON FLIGHT SERVICE, NO FLIGHT PLAN AND NO WEATHER REPORT WAS REQUESTED BY AIRCRAFT N2764W. THE FLIGHT OPERATED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91, AND VISUAL FLIGHT RULES. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE PILOT'S CERTIFICATE SHOWS A PRIVATE LICENSE WITH NO INSTRUMENT RATING. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS WHO WAS WALKING IN THE AREA, THE VISIBILITY WAS RESTRICTED DUE TO HEAVY FOG. THE WITNESS STATED HE COULD HEAR, BUT BARELY SEE AN AIRCRAFT FLYING ABOVE HIM AT A LOW ALTITUDE. AFTER PASSING OVERHEAD THE AIRCRAFT HEADED TOWARD A WOODED HILL AND HE HEARD THE AIRCRAFT CRASH INTO THE WOODED AREA. THE TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE WEST OF GARVEY FIELD RISES RAPIDLY TO APPROXIMATELY 900 FEET. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE SHOWED THAT THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK SEVERAL LARGE DIAMETER TREES BEFORE COMING TO A REST APPROXIMATELY 40 YARDS FROM THE FIRST TREE IMPACT. THE CABIN OF THE FUSELAGE WAS OBSERVED WEDGED BETWEEN TWO TREES ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 220 DEGREES. THE PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES AND THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. ATLANTA AIR SALVAGE RECOVERED THE AIRCRAFT AND TOOK IT TO GRIFFIN, GEORGIA FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.