What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) At 0106 (local) on January 19, 2004, while on an ILS approach to st. Lucie county airport, N298PA, a PA-28-181 struck trees with its left wing and crashed approximately one half mile short of rwy 9. The 90-foot trees, located 1000 feet westnorthwest of the middle marker, separated the left wing from the aircraft. A five-foot section of the left flap was lodged approximately seventy feet up the impacted tree. The left elevator tip was found at the bottom of the tree. The left wing came to rest on a north-south dirt road 300 feet eastsoutheast of the trees. The fuselage struck a three-inch high voltage wire running along the east side of the road, causing a power outage in the area. The fuselage came to rest six hundred feet from the trees and 400 feet wnw of the middle marker. The crash site showed signs of the fuselage hitting the ground once before coming to rest on its left side. The right wing was attached but with the outboard half bent toward the top of the aircraft. The right fuel tank still contained fuel. The propeller and engine were damaged but intact. The both propeller blades showed signs of impacting the high voltage wire. Both tips were separated from the blades. The aircraft was being operated by e.w. holdings inc. (d/b/a pan am international flight academy) in ft Pierce, Florida under CFR part 141 (certificate #I57S570K). The flight instructor was luis angel serrano of ft Pierce, Florida (cer. #I2741817). Carlos hector ramirez of ft Pierce, Florida (cert. #pending, temporary private pilot cert issued 12-12-03) was the student in the left front seat. The passenger in the back seat was privacy data omitted was the only survivor. According to privacy data omitted the flight was cleared by miami center for an ILS approach to runway 9 at st. Lucie county airport. The aircraft entered fog and visibility was reduced to zero. The flight instructor took the controls and continued the approach. privacy data omitted Said the two pilots were not talking, she said there was nothing wrong with the aircraft. She stated the only instrument she remembered looking at was the vertical speed indicator and it was reading a descent of 500 feet per minute. The next thing she remembers was grabbing the back of the pilots seat to stop from falling forward and then trying to climb out of the aircraft on the ground.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AT 0106 (LOCAL) ON JANUARY 19, 2004, WHILE ON AN ILS APPROACH TO ST. LUCIE COUNTY AIRPORT, N298PA, A PA-28-181 STRUCK TREES WITH ITS LEFT WING AND CRASHED APPROXIMATELY ONE HALF MILE SHORT OF RWY 9. THE 90-FOOT TREES, LOCATED 1000 FEET WESTNORTHWEST OF THE MIDDLE MARKER, SEPARATED THE LEFT WING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. A FIVE-FOOT SECTION OF THE LEFT FLAP WAS LODGED APPROXIMATELY SEVENTY FEET UP THE IMPACTED TREE. THE LEFT ELEVATOR TIP WAS FOUND AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TREE. THE LEFT WING CAME TO REST ON A NORTH-SOUTH DIRT ROAD 300 FEET EASTSOUTHEAST OF THE TREES. THE FUSELAGE STRUCK A THREE-INCH HIGH VOLTAGE WIRE RUNNING ALONG THE EAST SIDE OF THE ROAD, CAUSING A POWER OUTAGE IN THE AREA. THE FUSELAGE CAME TO REST SIX HUNDRED FEET FROM THE TREES AND 400 FEET WNW OF THE MIDDLE MARKER. THE CRASH SITE SHOWED SIGNS OF THE FUSELAGE HITTING THE GROUND ONCE BEFORE COMING TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE. THE RIGHT WING WAS ATTACHED BUT WITH THE OUTBOARD HALF BENT TOWARD THE TOP OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE RIGHT FUEL TANK STILL CONTAINED FUEL. THE PROPELLER AND ENGINE WERE DAMAGED BUT INTACT. THE BOTH PROPELLER BLADES SHOWED SIGNS OF IMPACTING THE HIGH VOLTAGE WIRE. BOTH TIPS WERE SEPARATED FROM THE BLADES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED BY E.W. HOLDINGS INC. (D/B/A PAN AM INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT ACADEMY) IN FT PIERCE, FLORIDA UNDER CFR PART 141 (CERTIFICATE #I57S570K). THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WAS LUIS ANGEL SERRANO OF FT PIERCE, FLORIDA (CER. #I2741817). CARLOS HECTOR RAMIREZ OF FT PIERCE, FLORIDA (CERT. #PENDING, TEMPORARY PRIVATE PILOT CERT ISSUED 12-12-03) WAS THE STUDENT IN THE LEFT FRONT SEAT. THE PASSENGER IN THE BACK SEAT WAS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS THE ONLY SURVIVOR. ACCORDING TO ^PRIVACY DATA^ THE FLIGHT WAS CLEARED BY MIAMI CENTER FOR AN ILS APPROACH TO RUNWAY 9 AT ST. LUCIE COUNTY AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED FOG AND VISIBILITY WAS REDUCED TO ZERO. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TOOK THE CONTROLS AND CONTINUED THE APPROACH. ^PRIVACY DAT^ SAID THE TWO PILOTS WERE NOT TALKING, SHE SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE AIRCRAFT. SHE STATED THE ONLY INSTRUMENT SHE REMEMBERED LOOKING AT WAS THE VERTICAL SPEED INDICATOR AND IT WAS READING A DESCENT OF 500 FEET PER MINUTE. THE NEXT THING SHE REMEMBERS WAS GRABBING THE BACK OF THE PILOTS SEAT TO STOP FROM FALLING FORWARD AND THEN TRYING TO CLIMB OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.