What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 2, 2015, about 1512 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32R-301, N782TM, collided with terrain following an in-flight breakup near Westminster, south carolina.
The private pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed by the impact forces.
The airplane was registered to smith family aviation LLC and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 as a personal flight.
Day, instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed.
The flight originated from warsaw municipal airport (asw), warsaw, Indiana and was destined for oconee county regional airport (ceu), clemson, south carolina.
Local residents reported hearing and seeing the airplane prior to the accident. One witness heard a loud "boom," followed by white pieces of debris falling into lake hartwell. Another witness saw the airplane descending vertically, in a spiral motion, until it disappeared behind a tree line.
Another witness reported that the engine was running until ground impact. Several witnesses reported the event to 911, and the wreckage was located by first responders shortly thereafter.
The main wreckage was found inverted in a wooded area, about 50 yards north of the shoreline of lake hartwell, near Westminster. Damage to trees was indicative of a near-vertical descent angle at impact. There was no fire. The main wreckage consisted of the main cabin, cockpit, engine, propeller, left wing, and the inboard half of the right wing. About 10 percent of the empennage was recovered near the south shoreline the lake, near toccoa, Georgia.
The outboard portion of the right wing and the remainder of the empennage have not been located.
The wreckage was retained by the NTSB for further examination.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 2, 2015, ABOUT 1512 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-32R-301, N782TM, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN FOLLOWING AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP NEAR WESTMINSTER, SOUTH CAROLINA.
THE PRIVATE PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY THE IMPACT FORCES.
THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO SMITH FAMILY AVIATION LLC AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT.
DAY, INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.
THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM WARSAW MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (ASW), WARSAW, INDIANA AND WAS DESTINED FOR OCONEE COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT (CEU), CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA.
LOCAL RESIDENTS REPORTED HEARING AND SEEING THE AIRPLANE PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ONE WITNESS HEARD A LOUD "BOOM," FOLLOWED BY WHITE PIECES OF DEBRIS FALLING INTO LAKE HARTWELL. ANOTHER WITNESS SAW THE AIRPLANE DESCENDING VERTICALLY, IN A SPIRAL MOTION, UNTIL IT DISAPPEARED BEHIND A TREE LINE.
ANOTHER WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING UNTIL GROUND IMPACT. SEVERAL WITNESSES REPORTED THE EVENT TO 911, AND THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED BY FIRST RESPONDERS SHORTLY THEREAFTER.
THE MAIN WRECKAGE WAS FOUND INVERTED IN A WOODED AREA, ABOUT 50 YARDS NORTH OF THE SHORELINE OF LAKE HARTWELL, NEAR WESTMINSTER. DAMAGE TO TREES WAS INDICATIVE OF A NEAR-VERTICAL DESCENT ANGLE AT IMPACT. THERE WAS NO FIRE. THE MAIN WRECKAGE CONSISTED OF THE MAIN CABIN, COCKPIT, ENGINE, PROPELLER, LEFT WING, AND THE INBOARD HALF OF THE RIGHT WING. ABOUT 10 PERCENT OF THE EMPENNAGE WAS RECOVERED NEAR THE SOUTH SHORELINE THE LAKE, NEAR TOCCOA, GEORGIA.
THE OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE RIGHT WING AND THE REMAINDER OF THE EMPENNAGE HAVE NOT BEEN LOCATED.
THE WRECKAGE WAS RETAINED BY THE NTSB FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.