What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot contacted gainesville (gnv) fss prior to departure for a weather briefing and to file an IFR flight plan. The intended flight was from 24A, jackson county, NC to pensacola, FL. He told gnv fss that he was on a mountain and wanted to know how he could activate his flight plan. He asked if he would be able to talk to someone once he departed VMC to activate IFR flight plan. The fss stated that he should be able to. He stated that he could see a blue patch and wanted to go but he also wanted to know if he could talk to someone once airborne. He thought he would be able to talk to ashville, NC tower. The gnv fss advised him to contact the rdu fss. The pilot contacted the rdu fss and again asked if would be able to activate his flight plan once airborne and talk to somebody. The pilot again stated that he could see a patch of blue and felt that he could go. Weather conditions were overcast and 10SM visibility. The flight departed 24A VFR with the pilot and 1 (one) passenger at approximately 1750Z. A short time later witnesses heard an engine rev up and immediately after the sound of a crash near c ullowhee mountain, NC. The IFR flight plan was never activated. No one spoke to the flight once it was airborne. The aircraft contacted bullowhee mountain on the savannah ridge at an altitude of 4, 451 feet. Weather was indicated as overcast 4100. Witnesses stated they heard power changes and then a rev up followed by sounds of impact. The wreckage was not found until the next day 12/30/2005 at approximately 12:30. It was found within 5 miles south of the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and mostly consumed by fire. 2 fatalities resulted.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT CONTACTED GAINESVILLE (GNV) FSS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE FOR A WEATHER BRIEFING AND TO FILE AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. THE INTENDED FLIGHT WAS FROM 24A, JACKSON COUNTY, NC TO PENSACOLA, FL. HE TOLD GNV FSS THAT HE WAS ON A MOUNTAIN AND WANTED TO KNOW HOW HE COULD ACTIVATE HIS FLIGHT PLAN. HE ASKED IF HE WOULD BE ABLE TO TALK TO SOMEONE ONCE HE DEPARTED VMC TO ACTIVATE IFR FLIGHT PLAN. THE FSS STATED THAT HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO. HE STATED THAT HE COULD SEE A BLUE PATCH AND WANTED TO GO BUT HE ALSO WANTED TO KNOW IF HE COULD TALK TO SOMEONE ONCE AIRBORNE. HE THOUGHT HE WOULD BE ABLE TO TALK TO ASHVILLE, NC TOWER. THE GNV FSS ADVISED HIM TO CONTACT THE RDU FSS. THE PILOT CONTACTED THE RDU FSS AND AGAIN ASKED IF WOULD BE ABLE TO ACTIVATE HIS FLIGHT PLAN ONCE AIRBORNE AND TALK TO SOMEBODY. THE PILOT AGAIN STATED THAT HE COULD SEE A PATCH OF BLUE AND FELT THAT HE COULD GO. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE OVERCAST AND 10SM VISIBILITY. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED 24A VFR WITH THE PILOT AND 1 (ONE) PASSENGER AT APPROXIMATELY 1750Z. A SHORT TIME LATER WITNESSES HEARD AN ENGINE REV UP AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SOUND OF A CRASH NEAR C ULLOWHEE MOUNTAIN, NC. THE IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS NEVER ACTIVATED. NO ONE SPOKE TO THE FLIGHT ONCE IT WAS AIRBORNE. THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED BULLOWHEE MOUNTAIN ON THE SAVANNAH RIDGE AT AN ALTITUDE OF 4, 451 FEET. WEATHER WAS INDICATED AS OVERCAST 4100. WITNESSES STATED THEY HEARD POWER CHANGES AND THEN A REV UP FOLLOWED BY SOUNDS OF IMPACT. THE WRECKAGE WAS NOT FOUND UNTIL THE NEXT DAY 12/30/2005 AT APPROXIMATELY 12:30. IT WAS FOUND WITHIN 5 MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND MOSTLY CONSUMED BY FIRE. 2 FATALITIES RESULTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.