What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot departed myrtle beach, SC, grand strand airport (kcre) and stopped at danville, VA, danville regional airport (kdan) to deplane one passenger, his wife. He then departed at approximately 1930 local time with two passengers VFR to butler, PA, butler county airport (btp), where he was based. During an in-flight contact with flight service he gave a new destination of johnstown, PA, johnstown-cambria county airport (kjst).at approximately 2038 local time and 25 NM south of the kessel vordme, enroute from danville, VA to johnstown, PA , the pilot reported "loosing VFR" to Washington center (zdc) and stated that he was "reversing course". Washington center asked the pilot if he was IFR capable and the pilot responded that "we are IFR capable". Washington center confirmed the response and asked the pilot if he wanted to file an IFR flight plan. The pilot responded with "not sure we got the plates", and that he was returning to kdan. At approximately 2042 local time zdc suggested grant county airport (W99) which was approximately 10 NM north of the aircraft's position and the pilot stated that he "just as soon not do that. I can't seem to find my plates. I'm getting bounced around pretty good". There were no further transmissions from N115CL.the aircraft impacted trees approximately 120 feet tall and came to rest at the base of another tree approximately 500 feet from the point of initial impact. A portion of the stabilator remained in the tree tops. The aircraft came to rest inverted and fragmented into small sections on a wooded mountain side with an approximate elevation of 2,980 feet MSL. The debris field was oriented on a 045 degree heading and spread for approximately 650 feet. The impact was high energy and the aircraft instruments were fragmented and ejected from the aircraft. The ELT battery was recovered in the ground crater separated from the ELT and split in half. The ground scarring was approximately eleven feet in length and four feet wide and terminated at the base of a tree cluster. The engine came to rest on the opposite side of the tree and showed impact damage to the cylinder head valve covers on the left side. The upper portion of the fuselage was located up hill approximately 15 feet from the impact site. Preliminary inspection of the aircraft indicates that the airplane was developing power, and the landing gear and flaps were retracted.a Virginia local police officer who was staying in a trailer at the mountain top reported hearing an airplane fly overhead northbound and later heard an airplane that sounded like a wwii airplane dive bombing, followed by what sounded like a car crash. The officer stated that he went outside to look around but could not see any sign of a crash. His residence was approximately one quarter of a mile from the crash site. All three occupants, the pilot and two passengers, were fatally injured.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT DEPARTED MYRTLE BEACH, SC, GRAND STRAND AIRPORT (KCRE) AND STOPPED AT DANVILLE, VA, DANVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT (KDAN) TO DEPLANE ONE PASSENGER, HIS WIFE. HE THEN DEPARTED AT APPROXIMATELY 1930 LOCAL TIME WITH TWO PASSENGERS VFR TO BUTLER, PA, BUTLER COUNTY AIRPORT (BTP), WHERE HE WAS BASED. DURING AN IN-FLIGHT CONTACT WITH FLIGHT SERVICE HE GAVE A NEW DESTINATION OF JOHNSTOWN, PA, JOHNSTOWN-CAMBRIA COUNTY AIRPORT (KJST).AT APPROXIMATELY 2038 LOCAL TIME AND 25 NM SOUTH OF THE KESSEL VORDME, ENROUTE FROM DANVILLE, VA TO JOHNSTOWN, PA , THE PILOT REPORTED "LOOSING VFR" TO WASHINGTON CENTER (ZDC) AND STATED THAT HE WAS "REVERSING COURSE". WASHINGTON CENTER ASKED THE PILOT IF HE WAS IFR CAPABLE AND THE PILOT RESPONDED THAT "WE ARE IFR CAPABLE". WASHINGTON CENTER CONFIRMED THE RESPONSE AND ASKED THE PILOT IF HE WANTED TO FILE AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT RESPONDED WITH "NOT SURE WE GOT THE PLATES", AND THAT HE WAS RETURNING TO KDAN. AT APPROXIMATELY 2042 LOCAL TIME ZDC SUGGESTED GRANT COUNTY AIRPORT (W99) WHICH WAS APPROXIMATELY 10 NM NORTH OF THE AIRCRAFT'S POSITION AND THE PILOT STATED THAT HE "JUST AS SOON NOT DO THAT. I CAN'T SEEM TO FIND MY PLATES. I'M GETTING BOUNCED AROUND PRETTY GOOD". THERE WERE NO FURTHER TRANSMISSIONS FROM N115CL.THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TREES APPROXIMATELY 120 FEET TALL AND CAME TO REST AT THE BASE OF ANOTHER TREE APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET FROM THE POINT OF INITIAL IMPACT. A PORTION OF THE STABILATOR REMAINED IN THE TREE TOPS.THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST INVERTED AND FRAGMENTED INTO SMALL SECTIONS ON A WOODED MOUNTAIN SIDE WITH AN APPROXIMATE ELEVATION OF 2,980 FEET MSL. THE DEBRIS FIELD WAS ORIENTED ON A 045 DEGREE HEADING AND SPREAD FOR APPROXIMATELY 650 FEET. THE IMPACT WAS HIGH ENERGY AND THE AIRCRAFT INSTRUMENTS WERE FRAGMENTED AND EJECTED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE ELT BATTERY WAS RECOVERED IN THE GROUND CRATER SEPARATED FROM THE ELT AND SPLIT IN HALF. THE GROUND SCARRING WAS APPROXIMATELY ELEVEN FEET IN LENGTH AND FOUR FEET WIDE AND TERMINATED AT THE BASE OF A TREE CLUSTER. THE ENGINE CAME TO REST ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE TREE AND SHOWED IMPACT DAMAGE TO THE CYLINDER HEAD VALVE COVERS ON THE LEFT SIDE. THE UPPER PORTION OF THE FUSELAGE WAS LOCATED UP HILL APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET FROM THE IMPACT SITE. PRELIMINARY INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT INDICATES THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS DEVELOPING POWER, AND THE LANDING GEAR AND FLAPS WERE RETRACTED.A VIRGINIA LOCAL POLICE OFFICER WHO WAS STAYING IN A TRAILER AT THE MOUNTAIN TOP REPORTED HEARING AN AIRPLANE FLY OVERHEAD NORTHBOUND AND LATER HEARD AN AIRPLANE THAT SOUNDED LIKE A WWII AIRPLANE DIVE BOMBING, FOLLOWED BY WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A CAR CRASH. THE OFFICER STATED THAT HE WENT OUTSIDE TO LOOK AROUND BUT COULD NOT SEE ANY SIGN OF A CRASH. HIS RESIDENCE WAS APPROXIMATELY ONE QUARTER OF A MILE FROM THE CRASH SITE.ALL THREE OCCUPANTS, THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS, WERE FATALLY INJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.