What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft while enroute from lock haven, PA (lhv) to kingsley, PA (PS50) flew into trees and subsequently impacted the ground resulting in a fire and 2 fatalities. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact with trees and subsequent fire. The pilot had contacted fss in sandusky, Ohio about a TFR south of the destination airport, at that time he was given a weather briefing that included thunderstorms in the vicinity of the destination airport. The pilot then stopped in lock haven, PA (lhv) and fueled with 90 gallons of aviation fuel. The aircraft departed lock haven at 0730 enroute Huf (PS50). The accident occurred on or about 2030 on a westward heading 2.19NM @150 degrees from destination airport (PS50).
Witness marks at accident scene showed aircraft was under power from both engines and traveling at a high rate of speed.
Interview with witness who was close personal friend and flew with the deceased pilot disclosed that the pilot normally used a garmin 396 portable GPS with a pilot defined ILS approach to fly into PS50. Also, a witness who lives in a nearby house saw the aircraft at treetop level flying eastbound during a rainstorm while in the front yard with his dogs. At 2030 hours (made call to relative on cellular phone to tell a relative about the low flying plane), the aircraft flew back past the house at treetop level westbound and disappeared over a hill. At that time the witness stated the aircraft was flying directly toward a storm cell that was extremely active with lightning and torrential rain. Witness did not hear the aircraft once it passed over the hill. The witness' house is at 1,100 feet in elevation, the accident scene is at 1.400 feet in elevation and Huf Airport (PS50) is at 1,600 feet in elevation.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT WHILE ENROUTE FROM LOCK HAVEN, PA (LHV) TO KINGSLEY, PA (PS50) FLEW INTO TREES AND SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED THE GROUND RESULTING IN A FIRE AND 2 FATALITIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED BY IMPACT WITH TREES AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE. THE PILOT HAD CONTACTED FSS IN SANDUSKY, OHIO ABOUT A TFR SOUTH OF THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, AT THAT TIME HE WAS GIVEN A WEATHER BRIEFING THAT INCLUDED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE VICINITY OF THE DESTINATION AIRPORT. THE PILOT THEN STOPPED IN LOCK HAVEN, PA (LHV) AND FUELED WITH 90 GALLONS OF AVIATION FUEL. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED LOCK HAVEN AT 0730 ENROUTE HUF (PS50). THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON OR ABOUT 2030 ON A WESTWARD HEADING 2.19NM @150 DEGREES FROM DESTINATION AIRPORT (PS50).
WITNESS MARKS AT ACCIDENT SCENE SHOWED AIRCRAFT WAS UNDER POWER FROM BOTH ENGINES AND TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED.
INTERVIEW WITH WITNESS WHO WAS CLOSE PERSONAL FRIEND AND FLEW WITH THE DECEASED PILOT DISCLOSED THAT THE PILOT NORMALLY USED A GARMIN 396 PORTABLE GPS WITH A PILOT DEFINED ILS APPROACH TO FLY INTO PS50. ALSO, A WITNESS WHO LIVES IN A NEARBY HOUSE SAW THE AIRCRAFT AT TREETOP LEVEL FLYING EASTBOUND DURING A RAINSTORM WHILE IN THE FRONT YARD WITH HIS DOGS. AT 2030 HOURS (MADE CALL TO RELATIVE ON CELLULAR PHONE TO TELL A RELATIVE ABOUT THE LOW FLYING PLANE), THE AIRCRAFT FLEW BACK PAST THE HOUSE AT TREETOP LEVEL WESTBOUND AND DISAPPEARED OVER A HILL. AT THAT TIME THE WITNESS STATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING DIRECTLY TOWARD A STORM CELL THAT WAS EXTREMELY ACTIVE WITH LIGHTNING AND TORRENTIAL RAIN. WITNESS DID NOT HEAR THE AIRCRAFT ONCE IT PASSED OVER THE HILL. THE WITNESS' HOUSE IS AT 1,100 FEET IN ELEVATION, THE ACCIDENT SCENE IS AT 1.400 FEET IN ELEVATION AND HUF AIRPORT (PS50) IS AT 1,600 FEET IN ELEVATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.