What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 13, 2014 at about 1945, N6648V,a Bellanca viking 17-30A, piloted by privacy data omitted, with one female passenger, privacy data omitted and two canines, departed from dallas bay sky park, chattanooga, TN., (1A0) to green county regional, greensboro, GA,. (3J7). As he approached 3J7, the AWOS reporting 200 feet broken and then decided to divert to madison municipal, madison, GA., (52A). When he approached 52A he said it was also very foggy and decided to then divert to Monroe-walton county airport, Monroe ga. (D73). When he was about 6 ? 10 miles south southeast of 52A he heard a loud bang and smoke started filling the cockpit. He also noticed fire coming from the propeller area. He then shut the engine down and descended the airplane to put out the fire. Once the fire was out, he leveled off into best glide. He remembers striking the trees and the airplane trying to roll which he countered with rudder and aileron. The pilot and passenger were transported to the local hospital with serious injuries. The two canines were picked up by the pilot?s sister.
The aircraft was destroyed on impact. The initial impact was at the top of 50-60 foot trees and continued on a heading of about 310 degrees. Small parts of the right wing were found in the area from the initial impact of the top of the trees for about 250? And about 65? Wide along a direction of about 310 degrees where the plane impacted a tree and then hit the ground. The nose of the aircraft landed facing about 040 degrees. The right wing was broken in pieces along the entire path. The left wing was intact but had major damage. The engine had separated from the engine mounts on impact. The engine had two holes in the top of the casing, the forward one is about 4-5? In diameter and the second is about 3? In diameter. There was no visible oil on the engine or aircraft. The fuselage and cabin had major damage and the fabric was torn. Visual inspection of the fuel showed about 10 gallons in each side. The fuel was yellow in color.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2014 AT ABOUT 1945, N6648V,A BELLANCA VIKING 17-30A, PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WITH ONE FEMALE PASSENGER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND TWO CANINES, DEPARTED FROM DALLAS BAY SKY PARK, CHATTANOOGA, TN., (1A0) TO GREEN COUNTY REGIONAL, GREENSBORO, GA,. (3J7). AS HE APPROACHED 3J7, THE AWOS REPORTING 200 FEET BROKEN AND THEN DECIDED TO DIVERT TO MADISON MUNICIPAL, MADISON, GA., (52A). WHEN HE APPROACHED 52A HE SAID IT WAS ALSO VERY FOGGY AND DECIDED TO THEN DIVERT TO MONROE-WALTON COUNTY AIRPORT, MONROE GA. (D73). WHEN HE WAS ABOUT 6 ? 10 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF 52A HE HEARD A LOUD BANG AND SMOKE STARTED FILLING THE COCKPIT. HE ALSO NOTICED FIRE COMING FROM THE PROPELLER AREA. HE THEN SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AND DESCENDED THE AIRPLANE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. ONCE THE FIRE WAS OUT, HE LEVELED OFF INTO BEST GLIDE. HE REMEMBERS STRIKING THE TREES AND THE AIRPLANE TRYING TO ROLL WHICH HE COUNTERED WITH RUDDER AND AILERON. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL WITH SERIOUS INJURIES. THE TWO CANINES WERE PICKED UP BY THE PILOT?S SISTER.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED ON IMPACT. THE INITIAL IMPACT WAS AT THE TOP OF 50-60 FOOT TREES AND CONTINUED ON A HEADING OF ABOUT 310 DEGREES. SMALL PARTS OF THE RIGHT WING WERE FOUND IN THE AREA FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT OF THE TOP OF THE TREES FOR ABOUT 250? AND ABOUT 65? WIDE ALONG A DIRECTION OF ABOUT 310 DEGREES WHERE THE PLANE IMPACTED A TREE AND THEN HIT THE GROUND. THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT LANDED FACING ABOUT 040 DEGREES. THE RIGHT WING WAS BROKEN IN PIECES ALONG THE ENTIRE PATH. THE LEFT WING WAS INTACT BUT HAD MAJOR DAMAGE. THE ENGINE HAD SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE MOUNTS ON IMPACT. THE ENGINE HAD TWO HOLES IN THE TOP OF THE CASING, THE FORWARD ONE IS ABOUT 4-5? IN DIAMETER AND THE SECOND IS ABOUT 3? IN DIAMETER. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE OIL ON THE ENGINE OR AIRCRAFT. THE FUSELAGE AND CABIN HAD MAJOR DAMAGE AND THE FABRIC WAS TORN. VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE FUEL SHOWED ABOUT 10 GALLONS IN EACH SIDE. THE FUEL WAS YELLOW IN COLOR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.