What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 11, 2012, at approximately 0850 CDT, N764RV, a Cirrus SR20, registered to Mr. Rick vaughn, crashed near Moscow, TN. The pilot was fatally injured. There were no passengers and no fatalities on the ground. The 14 CFR 91 flight departed knqa at approximately 0835 CDT. Weather at knqa at the time of departure was reported as overcast with 900 ft. ceiling. Weather at kolv at the time of the crash was reported as overcast with a ceiling of 400 ft. klov is located approximately 20 miles south of the crash site. The pilot held a private pilot certificate with no instrument rating. There was no flight plan filed. A wsi pilot brief station was located in the FBO at the knqa airport. It had been used by the pilot for previous flights, but no personnel present recalled the pilot utilizing it on the accident date. Knqa tower attempted radio contact with N764RV for position after takeoff, with no response. Radar tracking at memphis approach obtained a target squawking 1200 south of knqa southeast bound at 900 ft. N764RV passed a point between rossville, TN and Moscow, TN on a southeasterly bearing at 1100 ft at 1349Z. Radar showed N764RV turned eastbound and began a climb to an alitude of 1400 ft, then climbing to 1700 ft. later N764RV initiated another left climbing turn north eastbound to 2100 ft, followed later by a right descending turn eastbound to 1700 ft. shortly after N764RV began another climb, followed by a left turn nne bound while climbing to a maximum altitude of 2700 ft. at that time, radar tracking was lost. Altitude indicated 2700 ft, and less than 0.2 northeast of the crash site. N764RV struck a top of a tree and impacted the ground at a high angle, high rate of speed. The crash site was consistent with that type of impact. Aircraft debris was found appoximately 100-200 yards away from the main impact site.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 11, 2012, AT APPROXIMATELY 0850 CDT, N764RV, A CIRRUS SR20, REGISTERED TO MR. RICK VAUGHN, CRASHED NEAR MOSCOW, TN. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THERE WERE NO PASSENGERS AND NO FATALITIES ON THE GROUND. THE 14 CFR 91 FLIGHT DEPARTED KNQA AT APPROXIMATELY 0835 CDT. WEATHER AT KNQA AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE WAS REPORTED AS OVERCAST WITH 900 FT. CEILING. WEATHER AT KOLV AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH WAS REPORTED AS OVERCAST WITH A CEILING OF 400 FT. KLOV IS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES SOUTH OF THE CRASH SITE. THE PILOT HELD A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH NO INSTRUMENT RATING. THERE WAS NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED. A WSI PILOT BRIEF STATION WAS LOCATED IN THE FBO AT THE KNQA AIRPORT. IT HAD BEEN USED BY THE PILOT FOR PREVIOUS FLIGHTS, BUT NO PERSONNEL PRESENT RECALLED THE PILOT UTILIZING IT ON THE ACCIDENT DATE. KNQA TOWER ATTEMPTED RADIO CONTACT WITH N764RV FOR POSITION AFTER TAKEOFF, WITH NO RESPONSE. RADAR TRACKING AT MEMPHIS APPROACH OBTAINED A TARGET SQUAWKING 1200 SOUTH OF KNQA SOUTHEAST BOUND AT 900 FT. N764RV PASSED A POINT BETWEEN ROSSVILLE, TN AND MOSCOW, TN ON A SOUTHEASTERLY BEARING AT 1100 FT AT 1349Z. RADAR SHOWED N764RV TURNED EASTBOUND AND BEGAN A CLIMB TO AN ALITUDE OF 1400 FT, THEN CLIMBING TO 1700 FT. LATER N764RV INITIATED ANOTHER LEFT CLIMBING TURN NORTH EASTBOUND TO 2100 FT, FOLLOWED LATER BY A RIGHT DESCENDING TURN EASTBOUND TO 1700 FT. SHORTLY AFTER N764RV BEGAN ANOTHER CLIMB, FOLLOWED BY A LEFT TURN NNE BOUND WHILE CLIMBING TO A MAXIMUM ALTITUDE OF 2700 FT. AT THAT TIME, RADAR TRACKING WAS LOST. ALTITUDE INDICATED 2700 FT, AND LESS THAN 0.2 NORTHEAST OF THE CRASH SITE. N764RV STRUCK A TOP OF A TREE AND IMPACTED THE GROUND AT A HIGH ANGLE, HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE CRASH SITE WAS CONSISTENT WITH THAT TYPE OF IMPACT. AIRCRAFT DEBRIS WAS FOUND APPOXIMATELY 100-200 YARDS AWAY FROM THE MAIN IMPACT SITE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.