What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
8/30/2013 A Diamond DA-40, N447JP, departed charleston, SC. (Kjzi) around 9:00AM, bound for murphy andrews, NC (krhp). The aircraft was piloted by a private pilot holding a single engine land certificate, accompanied by his wife. The aircraft crashed into horsetrough mountain between low gap and testanee gap close to the appalachian trail outside of Blairsville, GA around 10:45AM. During the interview the pilot did not report that he was using flight following, but atlanta center released the recording requesting the pilot to report his destination airport in sight. The pilot correctly read back the controllers instructions. During that time the pilot located a hole in the clouds that he descended into and encountered IMC at which time he applied full power to establish a climb, at that instance the aircraft flew it to the trees. Both occupants survived with minor scratches,the aircraft was substantily damaged. It took several hours for the search rescue team hike to the accident site and rescue the occupants, as they had to hike out on foot due to the accessibility of the crash site.
As the FAA filed it
8/30/2013 A DIAMOND DA-40, N447JP, DEPARTED CHARLESTON, SC. (KJZI) AROUND 9:00AM, BOUND FOR MURPHY ANDREWS, NC (KRHP). THE AIRCRAFT WAS PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT HOLDING A SINGLE ENGINE LAND CERTIFICATE, ACCOMPANIED BY HIS WIFE. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO HORSETROUGH MOUNTAIN BETWEEN LOW GAP AND TESTANEE GAP CLOSE TO THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL OUTSIDE OF BLAIRSVILLE, GA AROUND 10:45AM. DURING THE INTERVIEW THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT THAT HE WAS USING FLIGHT FOLLOWING, BUT ATLANTA CENTER RELEASED THE RECORDING REQUESTING THE PILOT TO REPORT HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT IN SIGHT. THE PILOT CORRECTLY READ BACK THE CONTROLLERS INSTRUCTIONS. DURING THAT TIME THE PILOT LOCATED A HOLE IN THE CLOUDS THAT HE DESCENDED INTO AND ENCOUNTERED IMC AT WHICH TIME HE APPLIED FULL POWER TO ESTABLISH A CLIMB, AT THAT INSTANCE THE AIRCRAFT FLEW IT TO THE TREES. BOTH OCCUPANTS SURVIVED WITH MINOR SCRATCHES,THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTILY DAMAGED. IT TOOK SEVERAL HOURS FOR THE SEARCH RESCUE TEAM HIKE TO THE ACCIDENT SITE AND RESCUE THE OCCUPANTS, AS THEY HAD TO HIKE OUT ON FOOT DUE TO THE ACCESSIBILITY OF THE CRASH 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.