What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft was in cruise flight (IFR enroute and instrument meteorological conditions prevailed) at an altitude of approximately 9,000 feet MSL from spruce creek airport (7FL6), daytona beach, Florida to mansfield lahm regional airport (MFD), mansfield, OH, when the pilot contacted tri-cities approach control (tri) at 1214:05 EDT and was issued an altimeter setting of 30.24 inches of mercury (inhg). At 1220:02 EDT the tri-cities approach control contacted the pilot and requested the course heading, with the pilot response of 356 degrees. The tri controller advised the pilot of areas of weather at 12 o'clock and about 40 miles - scattered, type and intensity unknown. The pilot asked to deviate east if he could and the tri controller approved the deviations, left and right as necessary, and to maintain 9,000 feet. At 1232:16 EDT the tri controller switched the pilot to the indianapolis air route traffic control center (zid) and the pilot acknowledged. There were no further communications between the aircraft and air traffic control. FAA radar reflected an easterly deviation. At 1234:00 EDT to 1234:10 EDT the aircraft descended from 8500 MSL to 7200 feet MSL, before radar contact data was lost. An alnot was issued and on may 19, 2015 at 1230 EDT, the aircraft was discovered near Saltville, VA on flat top mountain at an elevation of approximately 4,400 feet. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The wreckage was examined on scene and all major components were accounted for. The aircraft was fragmented outside the impact crater for approximately 50 feet on an approximate 192 degree heading. The propellers were separated from their respective engines and all blades exhibited damage consistent with rotation on impact. One tree trunk exhibited damage consistent with rotational propeller contact. The subsequent offsite wreckage examination conducted by the NTSB, aircraft manufacturer, and engine manufacturer did not note any mechanical anomolies. The weather recorded at 1235 EDT at tazewell county airport (jfz), which is approximately 8 miles north of the site, was wind from 210 degrees at 5 knots, 10 miles visibility, scattered clouds at 2,900 feet AGL, scattered clouds at 3,600 feet AGL, a broken ceiling at 8000 feet AGL, temperature 24 degrees celsius, dew point temperature 18 degrees celsius, and altimeter 30.26 inhg.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT (IFR ENROUTE AND INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED) AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 9,000 FEET MSL FROM SPRUCE CREEK AIRPORT (7FL6), DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA TO MANSFIELD LAHM REGIONAL AIRPORT (MFD), MANSFIELD, OH, WHEN THE PILOT CONTACTED TRI-CITIES APPROACH CONTROL (TRI) AT 1214:05 EDT AND WAS ISSUED AN ALTIMETER SETTING OF 30.24 INCHES OF MERCURY (INHG). AT 1220:02 EDT THE TRI-CITIES APPROACH CONTROL CONTACTED THE PILOT AND REQUESTED THE COURSE HEADING, WITH THE PILOT RESPONSE OF 356 DEGREES. THE TRI CONTROLLER ADVISED THE PILOT OF AREAS OF WEATHER AT 12 O'CLOCK AND ABOUT 40 MILES - SCATTERED, TYPE AND INTENSITY UNKNOWN. THE PILOT ASKED TO DEVIATE EAST IF HE COULD AND THE TRI CONTROLLER APPROVED THE DEVIATIONS, LEFT AND RIGHT AS NECESSARY, AND TO MAINTAIN 9,000 FEET. AT 1232:16 EDT THE TRI CONTROLLER SWITCHED THE PILOT TO THE INDIANAPOLIS AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER (ZID) AND THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED. THERE WERE NO FURTHER COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE AIRCRAFT AND AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL. FAA RADAR REFLECTED AN EASTERLY DEVIATION. AT 1234:00 EDT TO 1234:10 EDT THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED FROM 8500 MSL TO 7200 FEET MSL, BEFORE RADAR CONTACT DATA WAS LOST. AN ALNOT WAS ISSUED AND ON MAY 19, 2015 AT 1230 EDT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS DISCOVERED NEAR SALTVILLE, VA ON FLAT TOP MOUNTAIN AT AN ELEVATION OF APPROXIMATELY 4,400 FEET. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE WRECKAGE WAS EXAMINED ON SCENE AND ALL MAJOR COMPONENTS WERE ACCOUNTED FOR. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FRAGMENTED OUTSIDE THE IMPACT CRATER FOR APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET ON AN APPROXIMATE 192 DEGREE HEADING. THE PROPELLERS WERE SEPARATED FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE ENGINES AND ALL BLADES EXHIBITED DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH ROTATION ON IMPACT. ONE TREE TRUNK EXHIBITED DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH ROTATIONAL PROPELLER CONTACT. THE SUBSEQUENT OFFSITE WRECKAGE EXAMINATION CONDUCTED BY THE NTSB, AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER, AND ENGINE MANUFACTURER DID NOT NOTE ANY MECHANICAL ANOMOLIES. THE WEATHER RECORDED AT 1235 EDT AT TAZEWELL COUNTY AIRPORT (JFZ), WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 8 MILES NORTH OF THE SITE, WAS WIND FROM 210 DEGREES AT 5 KNOTS, 10 MILES VISIBILITY, SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 2,900 FEET AGL, SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 3,600 FEET AGL, A BROKEN CEILING AT 8000 FEET AGL, TEMPERATURE 24 DEGREES CELSIUS, DEW POINT TEMPERATURE 18 DEGREES CELSIUS, AND ALTIMETER 30.26 INHG.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.