What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 9, 2011 about 0915 local, aircraft AT-802A, N8523H, was destroyed impacting rising terrain about 11 Miles east of Miles City, Montana. The pilot and sole occupant was fatally injured. IMC conditions prevailed and a VFR flight plan had been filed. The flight originated in aberdeen, south dakota bound for fort benton, Montana with a fuel stop in Miles City, Montana. The aircraft and pilot were returning from a firefighting contract in Wisconsin. On the evening of may 9, 2011 the aircraft was reported overdue by the owner and an aerial search located the wreckage the afternoon of the next day. A witness, inside her home .3 Miles e/ne of the accident site, heard an aircraft go low and fast over her house east to west followed by a distant "poof" sound. She looked out a window and could not see an aircraft or signs of an accident. She noted a low cloud/fog layer obscuring the mountain ridge to the west and light rain/mist in the Air with good visibility below the cloud layer. Accident site examination revealed the aircraft impacted trees and rising terrain. All major aircraft components were located along a 316' debris path heading 212 degrees magnetic. The house of the witness was visible from the accident site and the site was near the top of the ridge that had been previously noted as obscured.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 9, 2011 ABOUT 0915 LOCAL, AIRCRAFT AT-802A, N8523H, WAS DESTROYED IMPACTING RISING TERRAIN ABOUT 11 MILES EAST OF MILES CITY, MONTANA.THE PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT WAS FATALLY INJURED. IMC CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED.THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED IN ABERDEEN, SOUTH DAKOTA BOUND FOR FORT BENTON, MONTANA WITH A FUEL STOP IN MILES CITY, MONTANA. THE AIRCRAFT AND PILOT WERE RETURNING FROM A FIREFIGHTING CONTRACT IN WISCONSIN.ON THE EVENING OF MAY 9, 2011 THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPORTED OVERDUE BY THE OWNER AND AN AERIAL SEARCH LOCATED THE WRECKAGE THE AFTERNOON OF THE NEXT DAY. A WITNESS, INSIDE HER HOME .3 MILES E/NE OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, HEARD AN AIRCRAFT GO LOW AND FAST OVER HER HOUSE EAST TO WEST FOLLOWED BY A DISTANT "POOF" SOUND. SHE LOOKED OUT A WINDOW AND COULD NOT SEE AN AIRCRAFT OR SIGNS OF AN ACCIDENT. SHE NOTED A LOW CLOUD/FOG LAYER OBSCURING THE MOUNTAIN RIDGE TO THE WEST AND LIGHT RAIN/MIST IN THE AIR WITH GOOD VISIBILITY BELOW THE CLOUD LAYER.ACCIDENT SITE EXAMINATION REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TREES AND RISING TERRAIN. ALL MAJOR AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS WERE LOCATED ALONG A 316' DEBRIS PATH HEADING 212 DEGREES MAGNETIC.THE HOUSE OF THE WITNESS WAS VISIBLE FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE AND THE SITE WAS NEAR THE TOP OF THE RIDGE THAT HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY NOTED AS OBSCURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.