What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On approach into harnet county (hrj) aircraft descended into tree and broke up .6 miles from airport. Notes:1. Location: 35:22.038N; 078:44.747W; elevation 102 ft.2. Wreckage path oriented about 055 degrees 3.id'd by paint chips, fuel blight, l wing strut, cord wood 2 inches in diameter w/ black paint TRANSFER4.trees approx. 90' TALL5.approx. 350' wreckage path through woods, 670' from initial to airplane in river 6. 50' from initial impact point: beacon pieces 7. 150' to cowling in TREE8. Downed pine tree approx. halfway down wreckage PATH9. L + r wingtips, portions of l + r horizontal stabs and ailerons, l wing in tree at end of wreckage path, three pieces, two in trees and one in path. 10. 2 more pieces of cord wood approx. 2 inches in diameter were cut into. 11. Charts scattered throughout wreckage, none up to date. 12. Empennage, r wing and strut, fuselage, engine, and propeller (minus one blade) located in RIVER13. Elevators, rudder and rudder trim continuity established from COCKPIT14. Aileron control cables remained attached to control yokes, continuity could not be established due to wing SEPARATION15. Flap actuator, indicator, and cockpit switch up 16. Elevator trim approx. 5 degrees tab up, nose down, indicator DAMAGED17. L strut bent in half 180 deg. Around TREE18. Fuel strainer screen CLEAR19. Fuel selector handle in on position 20. Selector valve impact damaged, between both and LEFT21. Both fuel tanks RUPTURED22. ELT OPERATED23. Number 2 (pax) seat separated from AIRFRAME24. Seat backs still attached to BASES25. Shoulder reels remained attached to aircraft but headliner had separated from CABIN26. Number 1 seatbelt buckle in latch assy number 2 seat buckle not in LATCH27. Altimeter set 29.9228. Propeller remained attached, one blade ripped from hub. 29. Hub fractured, one blade unaccounted for and separated completely at the HUB30. Engine separated from AIRFRAME31. Compression and valve train continuity established 32. Both vacuum pumps intact and rotated by HAND33. Fuel control unit screen CLEAR34. Oil filter and oil screen CLEAR35. Fuel injectors contaminated by mud 36. L magneto sparked on all leads when turned by HAND37. R magneto produced spark on some leads, cap was swapped and all produced SPARK38. Engine driven fuel pump separated 39. Top spark plugs exhibited minimal WEAR40. All accessory drive gears rotated when prop was TURNED41. Fuel found in fuel control unit, strainer, 42. Prop rotated freely by hand. 43. No airframe or engine logs have been found. Prop log was in aircraft. 44.talked with larry copperknoll, IA who performed last 4 annuals, and he stated that the annual was performed on sept 18, 2010 at an aircraft time of 804.8. Aircraft tach time 804.8. Engine time since prop strike repair is 4.6 HOURS45. Prop strike was mid 2010 and prop struck tow bar. Prop repaired and engine tore down by triad engine in burlington, NC. 46. No airframe log can be found. 47. No engine log books can be FOUND48. Prop log books located. 49. No pilot log books can be found.
As the FAA filed it
ON APPROACH INTO HARNET COUNTY (HRJ) AIRCRAFT DESCENDED INTO TREE AND BROKE UP .6 MILES FROM AIRPORT. NOTES:1. LOCATION: 35:22.038N; 078:44.747W; ELEVATION 102 FT.2. WRECKAGE PATH ORIENTED ABOUT 055 DEGREES 3.ID'D BY PAINT CHIPS, FUEL BLIGHT, L WING STRUT, CORD WOOD 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER W/ BLACK PAINT TRANSFER4.TREES APPROX. 90' TALL5.APPROX. 350' WRECKAGE PATH THROUGH WOODS, 670' FROM INITIAL TO AIRPLANE IN RIVER 6. 50' FROM INITIAL IMPACT POINT: BEACON PIECES 7. 150' TO COWLING IN TREE8. DOWNED PINE TREE APPROX. HALFWAY DOWN WRECKAGE PATH9. L + R WINGTIPS, PORTIONS OF L + R HORIZONTAL STABS AND AILERONS, L WING IN TREE AT END OF WRECKAGE PATH, THREE PIECES, TWO IN TREES AND ONE IN PATH. 10. 2 MORE PIECES OF CORD WOOD APPROX. 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER WERE CUT INTO. 11. CHARTS SCATTERED THROUGHOUT WRECKAGE, NONE UP TO DATE. 12. EMPENNAGE, R WING AND STRUT, FUSELAGE, ENGINE, AND PROPELLER (MINUS ONE BLADE) LOCATED IN RIVER13. ELEVATORS, RUDDER AND RUDDER TRIM CONTINUITY ESTABLISHED FROM COCKPIT14. AILERON CONTROL CABLES REMAINED ATTACHED TO CONTROL YOKES, CONTINUITY COULD NOT BE ESTABLISHED DUE TO WING SEPARATION15. FLAP ACTUATOR, INDICATOR, AND COCKPIT SWITCH UP 16. ELEVATOR TRIM APPROX. 5 DEGREES TAB UP, NOSE DOWN, INDICATOR DAMAGED17. L STRUT BENT IN HALF 180 DEG. AROUND TREE18. FUEL STRAINER SCREEN CLEAR19. FUEL SELECTOR HANDLE IN ON POSITION 20. SELECTOR VALVE IMPACT DAMAGED, BETWEEN BOTH AND LEFT21. BOTH FUEL TANKS RUPTURED22. ELT OPERATED23. NUMBER 2 (PAX) SEAT SEPARATED FROM AIRFRAME24. SEAT BACKS STILL ATTACHED TO BASES25. SHOULDER REELS REMAINED ATTACHED TO AIRCRAFT BUT HEADLINER HAD SEPARATED FROM CABIN26. NUMBER 1 SEATBELT BUCKLE IN LATCH ASSY NUMBER 2 SEAT BUCKLE NOT IN LATCH27. ALTIMETER SET 29.9228. PROPELLER REMAINED ATTACHED, ONE BLADE RIPPED FROM HUB. 29. HUB FRACTURED, ONE BLADE UNACCOUNTED FOR AND SEPARATED COMPLETELY AT THE HUB30. ENGINE SEPARATED FROM AIRFRAME31. COMPRESSION AND VALVE TRAIN CONTINUITY ESTABLISHED 32. BOTH VACUUM PUMPS INTACT AND ROTATED BY HAND33. FUEL CONTROL UNIT SCREEN CLEAR34. OIL FILTER AND OIL SCREEN CLEAR35. FUEL INJECTORS CONTAMINATED BY MUD 36. L MAGNETO SPARKED ON ALL LEADS WHEN TURNED BY HAND37. R MAGNETO PRODUCED SPARK ON SOME LEADS, CAP WAS SWAPPED AND ALL PRODUCED SPARK38. ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP SEPARATED 39. TOP SPARK PLUGS EXHIBITED MINIMAL WEAR40. ALL ACCESSORY DRIVE GEARS ROTATED WHEN PROP WAS TURNED41. FUEL FOUND IN FUEL CONTROL UNIT, STRAINER, 42. PROP ROTATED FREELY BY HAND. 43. NO AIRFRAME OR ENGINE LOGS HAVE BEEN FOUND. PROP LOG WAS IN AIRCRAFT. 44.TALKED WITH LARRY COPPERKNOLL, IA WHO PERFORMED LAST 4 ANNUALS, AND HE STATED THAT THE ANNUAL WAS PERFORMED ON SEPT 18, 2010 AT AN AIRCRAFT TIME OF 804.8. AIRCRAFT TACH TIME 804.8. ENGINE TIME SINCE PROP STRIKE REPAIR IS 4.6 HOURS45. PROP STRIKE WAS MID 2010 AND PROP STRUCK TOW BAR. PROP REPAIRED AND ENGINE TORE DOWN BY TRIAD ENGINE IN BURLINGTON, NC. 46. NO AIRFRAME LOG CAN BE FOUND. 47. NO ENGINE LOG BOOKS CAN BE FOUND48. PROP LOG BOOKS LOCATED. 49. NO PILOT LOG BOOKS CAN BE FOUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.