What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain near Charlottesville, Virginia, while on approach to Charlottesville-albemarle airport (cho), Charlottesville, Virginia. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The flight departed from woodbine municipal airport (obi), woodbine, new jersey, about 0945, and was destined for cho. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed.
Review of preliminary air traffic control information revealed that the pilot contacted cho tower at 1104 to report he was 13 miles from cho at 4,300 mean sea level. A cho tower controller instructed him to enter a left base for runway 21 and report 3 miles. At 1108, the pilot declared an emergency. The controller asked for the nature of the emergency and the pilot reported his engine was dying. Controller asked for souls on board and fuel. Pilot stated 1 soul and "should have 2 hours of fuel on board"the pilot's last transmission to cho tower was at 1110 when he stated he was not going to make the airport.
The accident site was located in front of a residence, about 3 miles east of cho. The initial impact point was identified by several damaged tree limbs, and a wreckage path about 200 feet in length, oriented approximately 090 degrees magnetic, extending through the impact area. Fragments of the airplane, including portions of the outboard right and left wings were located along the wreckage path. The engine remained attached to the fuselage, and all three propeller blades exhibited postcrash impact damage with minimal leading edge and rotational signature damage.
Investigation still pending.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN NEAR CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA, WHILE ON APPROACH TO CHARLOTTESVILLE-ALBEMARLE AIRPORT (CHO), CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM WOODBINE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (OBI), WOODBINE, NEW JERSEY, ABOUT 0945, AND WAS DESTINED FOR CHO. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED.
REVIEW OF PRELIMINARY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL INFORMATION REVEALED THAT THE PILOT CONTACTED CHO TOWER AT 1104 TO REPORT HE WAS 13 MILES FROM CHO AT 4,300 MEAN SEA LEVEL. A CHO TOWER CONTROLLER INSTRUCTED HIM TO ENTER A LEFT BASE FOR RUNWAY 21 AND REPORT 3 MILES. AT 1108, THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. THE CONTROLLER ASKED FOR THE NATURE OF THE EMERGENCY AND THE PILOT REPORTED HIS ENGINE WAS DYING. CONTROLLER ASKED FOR SOULS ON BOARD AND FUEL. PILOT STATED 1 SOUL AND "SHOULD HAVE 2 HOURS OF FUEL ON BOARD"THE PILOT'S LAST TRANSMISSION TO CHO TOWER WAS AT 1110 WHEN HE STATED HE WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE THE AIRPORT.
THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS LOCATED IN FRONT OF A RESIDENCE, ABOUT 3 MILES EAST OF CHO. THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT WAS IDENTIFIED BY SEVERAL DAMAGED TREE LIMBS, AND A WRECKAGE PATH ABOUT 200 FEET IN LENGTH, ORIENTED APPROXIMATELY 090 DEGREES MAGNETIC, EXTENDING THROUGH THE IMPACT AREA. FRAGMENTS OF THE AIRPLANE, INCLUDING PORTIONS OF THE OUTBOARD RIGHT AND LEFT WINGS WERE LOCATED ALONG THE WRECKAGE PATH. THE ENGINE REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE FUSELAGE, AND ALL THREE PROPELLER BLADES EXHIBITED POSTCRASH IMPACT DAMAGE WITH MINIMAL LEADING EDGE AND ROTATIONAL SIGNATURE DAMAGE.
INVESTIGATION STILL PENDING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.