What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 12th, 2010 at approximately 2200 hours, a Diamond da 40, N361DS, was involved in an accident in the buffer zone for stennis space center north of highway 607, near pearlington, Mississippi. The aircraft was destroyed after it under flew ten strands of high voltage power lines and impacted the trees at a high rate speed and subsequently burned. The pilot was fatally injured. Initial investigation indicates the aircraft was on a return trip from destin, Florida to stennis airport in kiln, Mississippi. The accident aircraft created ground scars and splintered it's propellers underneath the high voltage power lines on a heading of 300 degrees, where it again became airborne traveled 100 feet and impacted the trees scattering debris up to 278 feet from where the aircraft wheels initially contacted the ground and post crash fire occurred. The national weather service reported the weather to be clear, temperature 34 degrees f, dew point 25 degrees f, altimeter 3012, winds 270 degrees at 7 knots. Maintenance logbooks were not recovered. In the pilots last transmission, he contacted gulfport approach to report 10 miles east with the airport (stennis airport khsa) in sight. Gulfport approach acknowledged and released the pilot to contact stennis tower and radar service was terminated at 02:52:30 zulu. The pilot never contacted stennis tower. Between 02:53 zulu and 04:01 zulu radar captured an aircraft making multiple circles with varying airspeeds and altitudes in the bay saint Louis and waveland, Mississippi area. Two witnesses reported they saw a single engine airplane flying erratically. The first reported he saw a single engine airplane between 2100 and 2200 hours flying what appeared to be loops in the bay saint Louis, Mississippi area. The second stated she saw a single engine airplane at 2130 hours in the waveland, Mississippi area.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 12TH, 2010 AT APPROXIMATELY 2200 HOURS, A DIAMOND DA 40, N361DS, WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN THE BUFFER ZONE FOR STENNIS SPACE CENTER NORTH OF HIGHWAY 607, NEAR PEARLINGTON, MISSISSIPPI. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AFTER IT UNDER FLEW TEN STRANDS OF HIGH VOLTAGE POWER LINES AND IMPACTED THE TREES AT A HIGH RATE SPEED AND SUBSEQUENTLY BURNED. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. INITIAL INVESTIGATION INDICATES THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON A RETURN TRIP FROM DESTIN, FLORIDA TO STENNIS AIRPORT IN KILN, MISSISSIPPI. THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT CREATED GROUND SCARS AND SPLINTERED IT'S PROPELLERS UNDERNEATH THE HIGH VOLTAGE POWER LINES ON A HEADING OF 300 DEGREES, WHERE IT AGAIN BECAME AIRBORNE TRAVELED 100 FEET AND IMPACTED THE TREES SCATTERING DEBRIS UP TO 278 FEET FROM WHERE THE AIRCRAFT WHEELS INITIALLY CONTACTED THE GROUND AND POST CRASH FIRE OCCURRED. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE REPORTED THE WEATHER TO BE CLEAR, TEMPERATURE 34 DEGREES F, DEW POINT 25 DEGREES F, ALTIMETER 3012, WINDS 270 DEGREES AT 7 KNOTS. MAINTENANCE LOGBOOKS WERE NOT RECOVERED. IN THE PILOTS LAST TRANSMISSION, HE CONTACTED GULFPORT APPROACH TO REPORT 10 MILES EAST WITH THE AIRPORT (STENNIS AIRPORT KHSA) IN SIGHT. GULFPORT APPROACH ACKNOWLEDGED AND RELEASED THE PILOT TO CONTACT STENNIS TOWER AND RADAR SERVICE WAS TERMINATED AT 02:52:30 ZULU. THE PILOT NEVER CONTACTED STENNIS TOWER. BETWEEN 02:53 ZULU AND 04:01 ZULU RADAR CAPTURED AN AIRCRAFT MAKING MULTIPLE CIRCLES WITH VARYING AIRSPEEDS AND ALTITUDES IN THE BAY SAINT LOUIS AND WAVELAND, MISSISSIPPI AREA. TWO WITNESSES REPORTED THEY SAW A SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE FLYING ERRATICALLY. THE FIRST REPORTED HE SAW A SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE BETWEEN 2100 AND 2200 HOURS FLYING WHAT APPEARED TO BE LOOPS IN THE BAY SAINT LOUIS, MISSISSIPPI AREA. THE SECOND STATED SHE SAW A SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE AT 2130 HOURS IN THE WAVELAND, MISSISSIPPI 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.