What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Investigation ongoing. Working with the pilot for more information. The pilot is injured and in and out of the hospital for appointments. He is responding the best he can.
The pilot claims to have gathered the proper weather information for his direct route of flight from kjvy to W29. His flightplan. Com briefing showed his route of flight as all VFR. The only way this could be possible is if his original planning occurred for a different time. The weather was actually showing and forecasting deteriorating weather and mostly IMC across his entire flight. The pilot was forced to descend due to deteriorating weather and lower ceilings. By the mid-point of his flight plan he decided he needed to divert to another airport to avoid what he thought was unforecast weather. He chose the closest airport to him. He also did not use his originally planned alternate. Using avionics on board he selected to go to kshp. This happens to be sitting on terrain at 3,790 feet and is one of the highest elevated airports on the east coast. The pilot unknowlingly had himself pointing at a mountain. He continually received terrain warnings from his aircraft and continued to khsp. Prior to khsp he crashed and only at this time did he try to declare an emergency. The pilot never sought the help of ATC.
As the FAA filed it
INVESTIGATION ONGOING. WORKING WITH THE PILOT FOR MORE INFORMATION. THE PILOT IS INJURED AND IN AND OUT OF THE HOSPITAL FOR APPOINTMENTS. HE IS RESPONDING THE BEST HE CAN.
THE PILOT CLAIMS TO HAVE GATHERED THE PROPER WEATHER INFORMATION FOR HIS DIRECT ROUTE OF FLIGHT FROM KJVY TO W29. HIS FLIGHTPLAN.COM BRIEFING SHOWED HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT AS ALL VFR. THE ONLY WAY THIS COULD BE POSSIBLE IS IF HIS ORIGINAL PLANNING OCCURRED FOR A DIFFERENT TIME. THE WEATHER WAS ACTUALLY SHOWING AND FORECASTING DETERIORATING WEATHER AND MOSTLY IMC ACROSS HIS ENTIRE FLIGHT. THE PILOT WAS FORCED TO DESCEND DUE TO DETERIORATING WEATHER AND LOWER CEILINGS. BY THE MID-POINT OF HIS FLIGHT PLAN HE DECIDED HE NEEDED TO DIVERT TO ANOTHER AIRPORT TO AVOID WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS UNFORECAST WEATHER. HE CHOSE THE CLOSEST AIRPORT TO HIM. HE ALSO DID NOT USE HIS ORIGINALLY PLANNED ALTERNATE. USING AVIONICS ON BOARD HE SELECTED TO GO TO KSHP. THIS HAPPENS TO BE SITTING ON TERRAIN AT 3,790 FEET AND IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST ELEVATED AIRPORTS ON THE EAST COAST. THE PILOT UNKNOWLINGLY HAD HIMSELF POINTING AT A MOUNTAIN. HE CONTINUALLY RECEIVED TERRAIN WARNINGS FROM HIS AIRCRAFT AND CONTINUED TO KHSP. PRIOR TO KHSP HE CRASHED AND ONLY AT THIS TIME DID HE TRY TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. THE PILOT NEVER SOUGHT THE HELP OF ATC.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.