What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The PIC arrived at the aircraft with the required amount of crew rest. The flight was an on demand cargo flight scheduled from kecp to kalb. The aircraft was appropriately loaded and below maximum weight. The aircraft was loaded with approximately 3 hours of fuel. The total aircraft weight for departure was 11400 pounds. The pilot was aware of a strong line of thunderstorms progressing from the north west towards his flight path. The pilot delayed his departure for approx. one hour due to the weather. He departed kecp at approx. 2154 EST and flew a north easterly track at 7000 feet along the front edge of the line of weather. ATC recordings show a discussion with jax center about the weather. ATC advised a flight path that would be to the north east for 70 miles to get to a weaker spot in the weather. The pilot requested to decent to 3000 to look at the radar and attempt to get through the weather. Radar analysis shows that the aircraft descended to between 4000 and 3000 feet. ATC cleared ?left and right as needed, vectors once on the other side of the storm?. An NTSB performance study shows an equivalent airspeed in KTS of 207 KTS from the time that the pilot requested deviations from ATC and then varying speeds for the last 3 minutes of the flight. Radar data shows the aircraft flying two 360 degree turns with a radius of .5 nautical miles (NM) before disappearing. The last altitude recorded was 3800 approx 30 seconds before impact.
Wreckage was found spread over approx. .5 NM on a heading of 056. Analysis of the wreckage reveals signatures consistent with structural failure due to aerodynamic overload. There was no evidence found of engine failure, prop failure, or control system failure.
As the FAA filed it
THE PIC ARRIVED AT THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE REQUIRED AMOUNT OF CREW REST. THE FLIGHT WAS AN ON DEMAND CARGO FLIGHT SCHEDULED FROM KECP TO KALB. THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROPRIATELY LOADED AND BELOW MAXIMUM WEIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOADED WITH APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS OF FUEL. THE TOTAL AIRCRAFT WEIGHT FOR DEPARTURE WAS 11400 POUNDS. THE PILOT WAS AWARE OF A STRONG LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS PROGRESSING FROM THE NORTH WEST TOWARDS HIS FLIGHT PATH. THE PILOT DELAYED HIS DEPARTURE FOR APPROX. ONE HOUR DUE TO THE WEATHER. HE DEPARTED KECP AT APPROX. 2154 EST AND FLEW A NORTH EASTERLY TRACK AT 7000 FEET ALONG THE FRONT EDGE OF THE LINE OF WEATHER. ATC RECORDINGS SHOW A DISCUSSION WITH JAX CENTER ABOUT THE WEATHER. ATC ADVISED A FLIGHT PATH THAT WOULD BE TO THE NORTH EAST FOR 70 MILES TO GET TO A WEAKER SPOT IN THE WEATHER. THE PILOT REQUESTED TO DECENT TO 3000 TO LOOK AT THE RADAR AND ATTEMPT TO GET THROUGH THE WEATHER. RADAR ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED TO BETWEEN 4000 AND 3000 FEET. ATC CLEARED ?LEFT AND RIGHT AS NEEDED, VECTORS ONCE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORM?. AN NTSB PERFORMANCE STUDY SHOWS AN EQUIVALENT AIRSPEED IN KTS OF 207 KTS FROM THE TIME THAT THE PILOT REQUESTED DEVIATIONS FROM ATC AND THEN VARYING SPEEDS FOR THE LAST 3 MINUTES OF THE FLIGHT. RADAR DATA SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT FLYING TWO 360 DEGREE TURNS WITH A RADIUS OF .5 NAUTICAL MILES (NM) BEFORE DISAPPEARING. THE LAST ALTITUDE RECORDED WAS 3800 APPROX 30 SECONDS BEFORE IMPACT.
WRECKAGE WAS FOUND SPREAD OVER APPROX. .5 NM ON A HEADING OF 056. ANALYSIS OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALS SIGNATURES CONSISTENT WITH STRUCTURAL FAILURE DUE TO AERODYNAMIC OVERLOAD. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE FOUND OF ENGINE FAILURE, PROP FAILURE, OR CONTROL SYSTEM FAILURE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N765FA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.