What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 15, 2012 at approximately 2055 local time, Mr. James e. roberts, pilot certificate number 438354598, was pilot in command of a Cessna 172, N2126R and departed pineville municipal airport (2LO) on a personal flight to orange, TX. A line of thunderstorms associated with a cold front was passing through the area at the time. Mr. Roberts held a private pilot certificate that was technically invalid due to being the old paper style pilot certificate. Mr. Roberts' last medical certificate was issued on may 11, 1998. Unable to find any evidence of Mr. Roberts' last flight, however, flight school owner stated that Mr. Roberts had flown some time in September in the Cessna 172 and had received some helicopter instruction recently. Upon departure, radar tracks from polk approach show N2126R flew directly over alexandria regional (aex) without contacting their tower and proceeded on a meandering course in a generally westbound direction with altitudes varying from 2000 to 4000 feet MSL. At approximately 2126 local time, radar shows a rapid right turning descent to the crash site. Airspeeds were in excess of 160 knots according to radar and descent from 2000 feet to impact took approximately 20 seconds. Impact area showed a steep descent of approximately 45 degrees with significant wreckage dispersal over a 300 foot swath which indicates a high rate of speed. Although the aircraft was completely destroyed, no evidence could be found of any mechanical anomolies. All inspections appeared to be current. Aircraft was reported missing the following morning and wreckage was found at approximately 1500 the following afternoon by two military UH-60 helicopters. Currently awaiting toxicology reports. A bottle of ambien sleep aid was found in pilots pocket. Though the body was severly mutilated, medical examiner noted no issues with the autopsy. All evidence suggests that pilot encountered inadvertent IMC conditions resulting in spatial disorientation, a loss of control and steep descending spiral to impact.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 15, 2012 AT APPROXIMATELY 2055 LOCAL TIME, MR. JAMES E. ROBERTS, PILOT CERTIFICATE NUMBER 438354598, WAS PILOT IN COMMAND OF A CESSNA 172, N2126R AND DEPARTED PINEVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (2LO) ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT TO ORANGE, TX. A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH A COLD FRONT WAS PASSING THROUGH THE AREA AT THE TIME. MR. ROBERTS HELD A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE THAT WAS TECHNICALLY INVALID DUE TO BEING THE OLD PAPER STYLE PILOT CERTIFICATE. MR. ROBERTS' LAST MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WAS ISSUED ON MAY 11, 1998. UNABLE TO FIND ANY EVIDENCE OF MR. ROBERTS' LAST FLIGHT, HOWEVER, FLIGHT SCHOOL OWNER STATED THAT MR. ROBERTS HAD FLOWN SOME TIME IN SEPTEMBER IN THE CESSNA 172 AND HAD RECEIVED SOME HELICOPTER INSTRUCTION RECENTLY. UPON DEPARTURE, RADAR TRACKS FROM POLK APPROACH SHOW N2126R FLEW DIRECTLY OVER ALEXANDRIA REGIONAL (AEX) WITHOUT CONTACTING THEIR TOWER AND PROCEEDED ON A MEANDERING COURSE IN A GENERALLY WESTBOUND DIRECTION WITH ALTITUDES VARYING FROM 2000 TO 4000 FEET MSL. AT APPROXIMATELY 2126 LOCAL TIME, RADAR SHOWS A RAPID RIGHT TURNING DESCENT TO THE CRASH SITE. AIRSPEEDS WERE IN EXCESS OF 160 KNOTS ACCORDING TO RADAR AND DESCENT FROM 2000 FEET TO IMPACT TOOK APPROXIMATELY 20 SECONDS. IMPACT AREA SHOWED A STEEP DESCENT OF APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES WITH SIGNIFICANT WRECKAGE DISPERSAL OVER A 300 FOOT SWATH WHICH INDICATES A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. ALTHOUGH THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED, NO EVIDENCE COULD BE FOUND OF ANY MECHANICAL ANOMOLIES. ALL INSPECTIONS APPEARED TO BE CURRENT. AIRCRAFT WAS REPORTED MISSING THE FOLLOWING MORNING AND WRECKAGE WAS FOUND AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 THE FOLLOWING AFTERNOON BY TWO MILITARY UH-60 HELICOPTERS. CURRENTLY AWAITING TOXICOLOGY REPORTS. A BOTTLE OF AMBIEN SLEEP AID WAS FOUND IN PILOTS POCKET. THOUGH THE BODY WAS SEVERLY MUTILATED, MEDICAL EXAMINER NOTED NO ISSUES WITH THE AUTOPSY. ALL EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT PILOT ENCOUNTERED INADVERTENT IMC CONDITIONS RESULTING IN SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, A LOSS OF CONTROL AND STEEP DESCENDING SPIRAL TO IMPACT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.