What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On September 4, 2006, the private pilot privacy data omitted and his wife departed smith mountain lake airport (W91), moneta, VA, at 1115 EDT in N2932J, a 1966 Cessna 150G aircraft. After departure, the pilot made contact with roa ATC and asked for flight following. While enroute at an unknown altitude heading to florence regional airport (kflo), florence, SC 202 sm south, the newly certificated VFR pilot (06-17-06) flew into IMC conditions. The pilot was handed off from roa ATC to Washington DC center. At 1131 EDT the pilot made contact with Washington DC center. Several witnesses in pennhook, Virginia heard a loud "clap" and saw the main body of the aircraft descending out of the clouds with the engine running but with the wings detached at approximately 1134 EDT. The fuselage came to rest in soft wet wooded terrain on a 10 degree slope at an elevation of 840 ft MSL. The pilot recently purchased the aircraft on 02-24-06, and it was registered with the FAA on 05-16-06. The occupants were wearing the installed lap belts and were fatally injured. A small post impact fire was confined to the lower engine cowl.(-23 amendment) on September 4, 2006, private pilot privacy data omitted and his w ife departed smith mountain lake airport (W91), moneta, VA, at 1115 EDT in N2932J, a 1966 Cessna 150G aircraft. After departure, the pilot made contact with roa ATC at 1200' AGL and asked for flight following for 7500' to florence regional airport (kflo), florence, SC. While enroute at an unknown altitude heading the newly certificated VFR pilot flew into IMC conditions. The pilot was handed off from roa ATC to Washington DC center at 1131 EDT. The pilot made initial contact with Washington center at approximately 4500' and shortly after the pilot asked the controller for a radar "vector." When queried about the request, the pilot responded, "we're kinda lost in some fog here." The controller then asked the pilot to state his present heading, to which the pilot replied, "I can't tell, I think we're upside-down." The controller instructed the pilot to turn right, and 18 seconds later advised the pilot to stop his turn. About 10 seconds later, at 1132, the pilot stated, "we can't see, we can't see, we can't see," and ten seconds later transmitted something unintelligible. No further transmissions were receiveed from the pilot, and radar contact was lost shortly thereafter. Several w itnesses in pennhook, Virginia heard a loud "clap" and saw the main body of the aircraft descending out of the clouds with the engine running but the wings detached at approximately 1133 EDT. The fuselage came to rest in soft wet wooded terrain on a 10 degree slope at an elevation of 840 ft MSL. The pilot recently purchased the aircraft on 02-24-06, and it was registered with the FAA on 05-16-06. The occupants were wearing the installed lap belts and were fatally injured. A small post impact fire was confined to the lower engine cowl. The weather conditions reported at roanoke regional airport (roa), about 26 nautical miles northwest of the accident site, at 1154, included winds from 150 degrees at 6 knots, 3 statute miles visibility in light rain and mist, scattered clouds at 500 feet, an overcast ceiling at 700 feet, temperature 63 degrees fahrenheit, dewpoint 59 degrees fahrenheit, and an altimeter setting of 30.20 inches of mercury. The weather conditions reported at lynchburg regional airport (lyh), about 30 nautical miles northeast of the accident site, at 1126, included variable winds at 3 knots, 2 statute miles visibility in heavy rain and mist, few clouds at 1,100 feet, an overcast ceiling at 2,600 feet, temperature 63 degrees fahrenheit, dewpoint 59 degrees fahrenheit, and an altimeter setting of 30.19 inches of mercury. An AIRMET for IFR conditions was issued about 1 1/2 hours before the accident airplane departed. It warned of occasional ceilings below 1,000 feet, and visibilities below 3 statute miles due to clouds, precipitation, mist, and fog, with the conditions ending between 1100 and 1400. An AIRMET for mountain obscuration was also issued at the same time that warned of similar conditions continuing beyond 1600 through 2200. A preliminary review of flight service station data revealed that the pilot did not contact any flight service stations or the direct user access terminal system (duats) to obtain a weather briefing, or file a flight plan, prior to the accident flight.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON SEPTEMBER 4, 2006, THE PRIVATE PILOT ^PRIVACY DAT^ AND HIS WIFE DEPARTED SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE AIRPORT (W91), MONETA, VA, AT 1115 EDT IN N2932J, A 1966 CESSNA 150G AIRCRAFT. AFTER DEPARTURE, THE PILOT MADE CONTACT WITH ROA ATC AND ASKED FOR FLIGHT FOLLOWING. WHILE ENROUTE AT AN UNKNOWN ALTITUDE HEADING TO FLORENCE REGIONAL AIRPORT (KFLO), FLORENCE, SC 202 SM SOUTH, THE NEWLY CERTIFICATED VFR PILOT (06-17-06) FLEW INTO IMC CONDITIONS. THE PILOT WAS HANDED OFF FROM ROA ATC TO WASHINGTON DC CENTER. AT 1131 EDT THE PILOT MADE CONTACT WITH WASHINGTON DC CENTER. SEVERAL WITNESSES IN PENNHOOK, VIRGINIA HEARD A LOUD "CLAP" AND SAW THE MAIN BODY OF THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDING OUT OF THE CLOUDS WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING BUT WITH THE WINGS DETACHED AT APPROXIMATELY 1134 EDT. THE FUSELAGE CAME TO REST IN SOFT WET WOODED TERRAIN ON A 10 DEGREE SLOPE AT AN ELEVATION OF 840 FT MSL. THE PILOT RECENTLY PURCHASED THE AIRCRAFT ON 02-24-06, AND IT WAS REGISTERED WITH THE FAA ON 05-16-06. THE OCCUPANTS WERE WEARING THE INSTALLED LAP BELTS AND WERE FATALLY INJURED. A SMALL POST IMPACT FIRE WAS CONFINED TO THE LOWER ENGINE COWL.(-23 AMENDMENT) ON SEPTEMBER 4, 2006, PRIVATE PILOT ^PRIVACY DAT^ AND HIS W IFE DEPARTED SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE AIRPORT (W91), MONETA, VA, AT 1115 EDT IN N2932J, A 1966 CESSNA 150G AIRCRAFT. AFTER DEPARTURE, THE PILOT MADE CONTACT WITH ROA ATC AT 1200' AGL AND ASKED FOR FLIGHT FOLLOWING FOR 7500' TO FLORENCE REGIONAL AIRPORT (KFLO), FLORENCE, SC. WHILE ENROUTE AT AN UNKNOWN ALTITUDE HEADING THE NEWLY CERTIFICATED VFR PILOT FLEW INTO IMC CONDITIONS. THE PILOT WAS HANDED OFF FROM ROA ATC TO WASHINGTON DC CENTER AT 1131 EDT. THE PILOT MADE INITIAL CONTACT WITH WASHINGTON CENTER AT APPROXIMATELY 4500' AND SHORTLY AFTER THE PILOT ASKED THE CONTROLLER FOR A RADAR "VECTOR." WHEN QUERIED ABOUT THE REQUEST, THE PILOT RESPONDED, "WE'RE KINDA LOST IN SOME FOG HERE." THE CONTROLLER THEN ASKED THE PILOT TO STATE HIS PRESENT HEADING, TO WHICH THE PILOT REPLIED, "I CAN'T TELL, I THINK WE'RE UPSIDE-DOWN." THE CONTROLLER INSTRUCTED THE PILOT TO TURN RIGHT, AND 18 SECONDS LATER ADVISED THE PILOT TO STOP HIS TURN. ABOUT 10 SECONDS LATER, AT 1132, THE PILOT STATED, "WE CAN'T SEE, WE CAN'T SEE, WE CAN'T SEE," AND TEN SECONDS LATER TRANSMITTED SOMETHING UNINTELLIGIBLE. NO FURTHER TRANSMISSIONS WERE RECEIVEED FROM THE PILOT, AND RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST SHORTLY THEREAFTER. SEVERAL W ITNESSES IN PENNHOOK, VIRGINIA HEARD A LOUD "CLAP" AND SAW THE MAIN BODY OF THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDING OUT OF THE CLOUDS WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING BUT THE WINGS DETACHED AT APPROXIMATELY 1133 EDT. THE FUSELAGE CAME TO REST IN SOFT WET WOODED TERRAIN ON A 10 DEGREE SLOPE AT AN ELEVATION OF 840 FT MSL. THE PILOT RECENTLY PURCHASED THE AIRCRAFT ON 02-24-06, AND IT WAS REGISTERED WITH THE FAA ON 05-16-06. THE OCCUPANTS WERE WEARING THE INSTALLED LAP BELTS AND WERE FATALLY INJURED. A SMALL POST IMPACT FIRE WAS CONFINED TO THE LOWER ENGINE COWL. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS REPORTED AT ROANOKE REGIONAL AIRPORT (ROA), ABOUT 26 NAUTICAL MILES NORTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, AT 1154, INCLUDED WINDS FROM 150 DEGREES AT 6 KNOTS, 3 STATUTE MILES VISIBILITY IN LIGHT RAIN AND MIST, SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 500 FEET, AN OVERCAST CEILING AT 700 FEET, TEMPERATURE 63 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, DEWPOINT 59 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, AND AN ALTIMETER SETTING OF 30.20 INCHES OF MERCURY. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS REPORTED AT LYNCHBURG REGIONAL AIRPORT (LYH), ABOUT 30 NAUTICAL MILES NORTHEAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, AT 1126, INCLUDED VARIABLE WINDS AT 3 KNOTS, 2 STATUTE MILES VISIBILITY IN HEAVY RAIN AND MIST, FEW CLOUDS AT 1,100 FEET, AN OVERCAST CEILING AT 2,600 FEET, TEMPERATURE 63 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, DEWPOINT 59 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, AND AN ALTIMETER SETTING OF 30.19 INCHES OF MERCURY. AN AIRMET FOR IFR CONDITIONS WAS ISSUED ABOUT 1 1/2 HOURS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE DEPARTED. IT WARNED OF OCCASIONAL CEILINGS BELOW 1,000 FEET, AND VISIBILITIES BELOW 3 STATUTE MILES DUE TO CLOUDS, PRECIPITATION, MIST, AND FOG, WITH THE CONDITIONS ENDING BETWEEN 1100 AND 1400. AN AIRMET FOR MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION WAS ALSO ISSUED AT THE SAME TIME THAT WARNED OF SIMILAR CONDITIONS CONTINUING BEYOND 1600 THROUGH 2200. A PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF FLIGHT SERVICE STATION DATA REVEALED THAT THE PILOT DID NOT CONTACT ANY FLIGHT SERVICE STATIONS OR THE DIRECT USER ACCESS TERMINAL SYSTEM (DUATS) TO OBTAIN A WEATHER BRIEFING, OR FILE A FLIGHT PLAN, PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.