What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The Piper seneca v was destroyed upon impact with terrain following a loss of control while on the LOC rwy 17R approach at the dwh airport. The 55 year old pilot and his 10 year old passenger were fatally injured, and a motorist received minor injuries when her car was destroyed by the crash debris. The reported weather two minutes before the accident was 300 foot overcast with fog, with 3 miles visibility which deteriorated to 1 3/4 statute miles visibility four minutes later. Straight-in minimums for the LOC rwy 17R approach show a minimum descent altitude of 620 feet MSL (468 feet AGL). Radar data from Houston TRACON shows the seneca's reported altitude was 500 feet MSL (350 feet AGL) during the last mile of the approach, then descended to 300 feet MSL (150 feet AGL) for approximately 5 seconds before climbing from 300 feet to 800 feet MSL in only 14 seconds. Radar contact was lost 30 seconds later. An eyewitness reported seeing the seneca emerge from the base of the overcast in a nose down spiral. Analysis at the scene showed a crash debris distribution along a track of 345 degrees. There was no post crash fire, although firefighters reported a large area of fuel spill.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PIPER SENECA V WAS DESTROYED UPON IMPACT WITH TERRAIN FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE ON THE LOC RWY 17R APPROACH AT THE DWH AIRPORT. THE 55 YEAR OLD PILOT AND HIS 10 YEAR OLD PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED, AND A MOTORIST RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES WHEN HER CAR WAS DESTROYED BY THE CRASH DEBRIS. THE REPORTED WEATHER TWO MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT WAS 300 FOOT OVERCAST WITH FOG, WITH 3 MILES VISIBILITY WHICH DETERIORATED TO 1 3/4 STATUTE MILES VISIBILITY FOUR MINUTES LATER. STRAIGHT-IN MINIMUMS FOR THE LOC RWY 17R APPROACH SHOW A MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE OF 620 FEET MSL (468 FEET AGL). RADAR DATA FROM HOUSTON TRACON SHOWS THE SENECA'S REPORTED ALTITUDE WAS 500 FEET MSL (350 FEET AGL) DURING THE LAST MILE OF THE APPROACH, THEN DESCENDED TO 300 FEET MSL (150 FEET AGL) FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 SECONDS BEFORE CLIMBING FROM 300 FEET TO 800 FEET MSL IN ONLY 14 SECONDS. RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST 30 SECONDS LATER. AN EYEWITNESS REPORTED SEEING THE SENECA EMERGE FROM THE BASE OF THE OVERCAST IN A NOSE DOWN SPIRAL. ANALYSIS AT THE SCENE SHOWED A CRASH DEBRIS DISTRIBUTION ALONG A TRACK OF 345 DEGREES. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE, ALTHOUGH FIREFIGHTERS REPORTED A LARGE AREA OF FUEL SPILL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.