What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot departed beaufort county airport, SC (arw) with an intended destination of Aiken muni airport, SC (aik) for avionics installitaion, (new instrument panel). The pilot flew into IFR conditions and notified ATC that he was going to turn around and return to arw. ATC turned the pilot over to columbia and the pilot did not report to columbia and was lost from radar contact. The last radar return for the aircraft was at about 9:37 am at about 3000 feet. The aircraft was located about 5 miles east of the Aiken muni airport. The aircraft was on a heading of about 221 degrees, hit some pine trees, impacted the ground about 52 feet from the trees at about a 45 degree angle, bounced from this point, leaving a four foot crater. The main wreckage and engine came to a stop about 130 feet from the impact with the trees. The cabin, cabin door an a wing strut was located 251 feet from the trees. The end of the debris field was 353 feet from the first impact with the trees. A part of one wing was located 100 feet to the right of the main wreckage and appears to have exploded, as there was black soot inside of this partial wing. The rubber fuel cell was missing, however a piece of a fuel cell access plate with a small piece of the fuel cell was found 222 feet from the wreckage. Two prop blades were found at the impact crater and one prop blad was found 222 feet to the right of the crater. Rotational scaring was noted on the three prop blades.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT DEPARTED BEAUFORT COUNTY AIRPORT, SC (ARW) WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION OF AIKEN MUNI AIRPORT, SC (AIK) FOR AVIONICS INSTALLITAION, (NEW INSTRUMENT PANEL). THE PILOT FLEW INTO IFR CONDITIONS AND NOTIFIED ATC THAT HE WAS GOING TO TURN AROUND AND RETURN TO ARW. ATC TURNED THE PILOT OVER TO COLUMBIA AND THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT TO COLUMBIA AND WAS LOST FROM RADAR CONTACT. THE LAST RADAR RETURN FOR THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT ABOUT 9:37 AM AT ABOUT 3000 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED ABOUT 5 MILES EAST OF THE AIKEN MUNI AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON A HEADING OF ABOUT 221 DEGREES, HIT SOME PINE TREES, IMPACTED THE GROUND ABOUT 52 FEET FROM THE TREES AT ABOUT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE, BOUNCED FROM THIS POINT, LEAVING A FOUR FOOT CRATER. THE MAIN WRECKAGE AND ENGINE CAME TO A STOP ABOUT 130 FEET FROM THE IMPACT WITH THE TREES. THE CABIN, CABIN DOOR AN A WING STRUT WAS LOCATED 251 FEET FROM THE TREES. THE END OF THE DEBRIS FIELD WAS 353 FEET FROM THE FIRST IMPACT WITH THE TREES. A PART OF ONE WING WAS LOCATED 100 FEET TO THE RIGHT OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE AND APPEARS TO HAVE EXPLODED, AS THERE WAS BLACK SOOT INSIDE OF THIS PARTIAL WING. THE RUBBER FUEL CELL WAS MISSING, HOWEVER A PIECE OF A FUEL CELL ACCESS PLATE WITH A SMALL PIECE OF THE FUEL CELL WAS FOUND 222 FEET FROM THE WRECKAGE. TWO PROP BLADES WERE FOUND AT THE IMPACT CRATER AND ONE PROP BLAD WAS FOUND 222 FEET TO THE RIGHT OF THE CRATER. ROTATIONAL SCARING WAS NOTED ON THE THREE PROP BLADES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.