What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 27, 2009, at approximately 10:00AM eastern standard time, aircraft N654GT piloted by robert f moreland and passenger privacy data omitted takeoff from montgomery, AL, en route to north perry airport, FL. At approximately 11:00AM EST, at an altitude of 3500 feet, the aircraft entered into a level 5 thunderstorm resulting into an overstress, causing the left wing to fail in a positive lift direction. The left wing spar fractures indicate ductile overload. The left wing bent upward in a positive lift angle of 28 degrees, the upper spar cap fractured, causing the complete loss of the left wing. The aircraft continued to break-up in-flight leaving a debris field stretching 1,213 feet, at a heading of 256 degrees, causing fatal injuries to both pilot and passenger. The right wing still had the co-pilot (passenger) seat and seat tracks attached to the wing. The propeller shaft sheered. Shaft indicated ductile overload fracture. The engine was stilled secured to the engine mount/frame. Engine mount/frame separated from the fire wall. The cockpit section separated from fuselage just aft of pilot and co-pilots. The cockpit rolled into a ball upon impact with the ground. The landing gear selector was in the down position. Both landing gear assymblies were still attached to thier respective wings and were down and locked. The flap lever was in the up position. Aft part of the fuselage is sheered at frame 7, 4 feet behind cargo compartment aft bulkhead. The empennage is sheered at frame 8 and is still attached to the vertical stabilizer. Rudder separated from vertical stabilizer. The horizontal stabilizer/elevator separated at frame 9, still having frame 9 attached. The control tubes indicate ductile overload fractures and indicate frame 9 was twisting to the right at separation.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 27, 2009, AT APPROXIMATELY 10:00AM EASTERN STANDARD TIME, AIRCRAFT N654GT PILOTED BY ROBERT F MORELAND AND PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TAKEOFF FROM MONTGOMERY, AL, EN ROUTE TO NORTH PERRY AIRPORT, FL. AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00AM EST, AT AN ALTITUDE OF 3500 FEET, THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED INTO A LEVEL 5 THUNDERSTORM RESULTING INTO AN OVERSTRESS, CAUSING THE LEFT WING TO FAIL IN A POSITIVE LIFT DIRECTION. THE LEFT WING SPAR FRACTURES INDICATE DUCTILE OVERLOAD. THE LEFT WING BENT UPWARD IN A POSITIVE LIFT ANGLE OF 28 DEGREES, THE UPPER SPAR CAP FRACTURED, CAUSING THE COMPLETE LOSS OF THE LEFT WING. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO BREAK-UP IN-FLIGHT LEAVING A DEBRIS FIELD STRETCHING 1,213 FEET, AT A HEADING OF 256 DEGREES, CAUSING FATAL INJURIES TO BOTH PILOT AND PASSENGER. THE RIGHT WING STILL HAD THE CO-PILOT (PASSENGER) SEAT AND SEAT TRACKS ATTACHED TO THE WING. THE PROPELLER SHAFT SHEERED. SHAFT INDICATED DUCTILE OVERLOAD FRACTURE. THE ENGINE WAS STILLED SECURED TO THE ENGINE MOUNT/FRAME. ENGINE MOUNT/FRAME SEPARATED FROM THE FIRE WALL. THE COCKPIT SECTION SEPARATED FROM FUSELAGE JUST AFT OF PILOT AND CO-PILOTS. THE COCKPIT ROLLED INTO A BALL UPON IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. THE LANDING GEAR SELECTOR WAS IN THE DOWN POSITION. BOTH LANDING GEAR ASSYMBLIES WERE STILL ATTACHED TO THIER RESPECTIVE WINGS AND WERE DOWN AND LOCKED. THE FLAP LEVER WAS IN THE UP POSITION. AFT PART OF THE FUSELAGE IS SHEERED AT FRAME 7, 4 FEET BEHIND CARGO COMPARTMENT AFT BULKHEAD. THE EMPENNAGE IS SHEERED AT FRAME 8 AND IS STILL ATTACHED TO THE VERTICAL STABILIZER. RUDDER SEPARATED FROM VERTICAL STABILIZER. THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER/ELEVATOR SEPARATED AT FRAME 9, STILL HAVING FRAME 9 ATTACHED. THE CONTROL TUBES INDICATE DUCTILE OVERLOAD FRACTURES AND INDICATE FRAME 9 WAS TWISTING TO THE RIGHT AT SEPARATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.