What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On November 21, 2010, at approx. 1630 central standard time, the airman (not IFR rated) contacted the flight service station to obtain a weather briefing. This was for his planned VFR flight from chamberlain, SD (9V9) to omaha millard airport, NE (mle). The briefer indicated that VFR flight was not recommened along the planned route of flight due to low ceilings. The briefer and pilot continued the exchange discussing the current and forecast weather along the route of flight for seven minutes and 22 seconds. The airman's brother-in-law reported that he had dropped the airman off at the airport after the weekend hunting trip. He said that when they arrived at the airport, the aircraft had some ice and frost adhearing to it. After obtaining some anti-freeze, they cleaned the aircraft off prior to departure. The airman, along with one passenger, departed 9V9 in N8675P under night and marginal VFR conditions. Shortly after take-off, the aircraft turned south east bound on course toward mle. They were flying at a relatively low altitude as reported by a witness driving on interstate 90 south east of the airport. This witness (a former air national guard pilot) also indicated he felt that the ceilings were somewhat low for a VFR night flight due to the fact that the runway lights were relflecting off the base of the clouds. Two witnesses from different locations just northwest of the accident site and in line with the planned route of flight, reported a low flying aircraft over their residence. One of the witnesses described the weather conditions as dark, misty and cold. He also estimated the tempeture to be 28 or 29 degrees fahrenheit. The weather at Norfolk, NE. Located 13 miles south west of the accident site reported ceilings variable from 800'-1300' overcast, 9 miles vis., nnw winds at 9 knots and a close temp/dewpoint spread of -2/- 3 degrees c.in a cruise configuration, traveling in a southeasterly direction, the aircraft clipped a tree top with the right wingtip. This resulted in the outboard section of the right wing and aileron to depart the aircraft. The aircraft then impacted the ground at a low angle and high speed. The ground scars indicated the aircraft hit three times, ejecting the pilot and passenger before coming to a stop. There was no post accident fire.
As the FAA filed it
ON NOVEMBER 21, 2010, AT APPROX. 1630 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, THE AIRMAN (NOT IFR RATED) CONTACTED THE FLIGHT SERVICE STATION TO OBTAIN A WEATHER BRIEFING. THIS WAS FOR HIS PLANNED VFR FLIGHT FROM CHAMBERLAIN, SD (9V9) TO OMAHA MILLARD AIRPORT, NE (MLE). THE BRIEFER INDICATED THAT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENED ALONG THE PLANNED ROUTE OF FLIGHT DUE TO LOW CEILINGS. THE BRIEFER AND PILOT CONTINUED THE EXCHANGE DISCUSSING THE CURRENT AND FORECAST WEATHER ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT FOR SEVEN MINUTES AND 22 SECONDS.THE AIRMAN'S BROTHER-IN-LAW REPORTED THAT HE HAD DROPPED THE AIRMAN OFF AT THE AIRPORT AFTER THE WEEKEND HUNTING TRIP. HE SAID THAT WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT, THE AIRCRAFT HAD SOME ICE AND FROST ADHEARING TO IT. AFTER OBTAINING SOME ANTI-FREEZE, THEY CLEANED THE AIRCRAFT OFF PRIOR TO DEPARTURE.THE AIRMAN, ALONG WITH ONE PASSENGER, DEPARTED 9V9 IN N8675P UNDER NIGHT AND MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS. SHORTLY AFTER TAKE-OFF, THE AIRCRAFT TURNED SOUTH EAST BOUND ON COURSE TOWARD MLE. THEY WERE FLYING AT A RELATIVELY LOW ALTITUDE AS REPORTED BY A WITNESS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 90 SOUTH EAST OF THE AIRPORT. THIS WITNESS (A FORMER AIR NATIONAL GUARD PILOT) ALSO INDICATED HE FELT THAT THE CEILINGS WERE SOMEWHAT LOW FOR A VFR NIGHT FLIGHT DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE RELFLECTING OFF THE BASE OF THE CLOUDS.TWO WITNESSES FROM DIFFERENT LOCATIONS JUST NORTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE AND IN LINE WITH THE PLANNED ROUTE OF FLIGHT, REPORTED A LOW FLYING AIRCRAFT OVER THEIR RESIDENCE. ONE OF THE WITNESSES DESCRIBED THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AS DARK, MISTY AND COLD. HE ALSO ESTIMATED THE TEMPETURE TO BE 28 OR 29 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.THE WEATHER AT NORFOLK, NE. LOCATED 13 MILES SOUTH WEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED CEILINGS VARIABLE FROM 800'-1300' OVERCAST, 9 MILES VIS., NNW WINDS AT 9 KNOTS AND A CLOSE TEMP/DEWPOINT SPREAD OF -2/- 3 DEGREES C.IN A CRUISE CONFIGURATION, TRAVELING IN A SOUTHEASTERLY DIRECTION, THE AIRCRAFT CLIPPED A TREE TOP WITH THE RIGHT WINGTIP. THIS RESULTED IN THE OUTBOARD SECTION OF THE RIGHT WING AND AILERON TO DEPART THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND AT A LOW ANGLE AND HIGH SPEED. THE GROUND SCARS INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT HIT THREE TIMES, EJECTING THE PILOT AND PASSENGER BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. THERE WAS NO POST ACCIDENT FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N8675P · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.