What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft crashed into side of cold mountain, approximately 23 miles southeast of asheville, NC. Airplane departed rutherfordton, NC (ruq) at approximately 0510 eastern daylight time enroute to north little rock, AK airport (kork). Weather in asheville, NC airport 30 miles west or ruq at the time of departure was 3700 feet broken cloud coverage, and the winds were 330 degrees at 22 knots gusting to 31 knots with a temperature of 11 degrees celsius (52 degrees fahrenheit) and dew point of 04 degrees. The non instrument rated pilot was flying during a time when instrument flight conditions were prevalent throughout the region with convective weather associated with a frontal passage dominated most of the day. The airplane crashed at an elevation of approximately 4700 feet above sea level with mountain tops of over 6200 feet in the area.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO SIDE OF COLD MOUNTAIN, APPROXIMATELY 23 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ASHEVILLE, NC. AIRPLANE DEPARTED RUTHERFORDTON, NC (RUQ) AT APPROXIMATELY 0510 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME ENROUTE TO NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AK AIRPORT (KORK). WEATHER IN ASHEVILLE, NC AIRPORT 30 MILES WEST OR RUQ AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE WAS 3700 FEET BROKEN CLOUD COVERAGE, AND THE WINDS WERE 330 DEGREES AT 22 KNOTS GUSTING TO 31 KNOTS WITH A TEMPERATURE OF 11 DEGREES CELSIUS (52 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT) AND DEW POINT OF 04 DEGREES. THE NON INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT WAS FLYING DURING A TIME WHEN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT CONDITIONS WERE PREVALENT THROUGHOUT THE REGION WITH CONVECTIVE WEATHER ASSOCIATED WITH A FRONTAL PASSAGE DOMINATED MOST OF THE DAY. THE AIRPLANE CRASHED AT AN ELEVATION OF APPROXIMATELY 4700 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL WITH MOUNTAIN TOPS OF OVER 6200 FEET IN THE AREA.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.