What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot received a weather briefing from the flight planning equipment at Auburn University airport (auo), four-flight software and the athens ASOS. The night was clear on departure with athens reporting 4100 broken with 10 miles visibility. The pilot preflighted the aircraft and completed a run up at the departure end of the runway.
The departure was normal and the pilot contacted atlanta approach receiving VFR flight following and a squawk code.
The pilot noticed that the oil pressure gauge indicated that the pressure falling and he immediately turned back for auo. Almost immediately, the engine began running rough and losing power with sparks coming from under the cowling. Very quickly, the engine stopped and began filling the cabin with smoke.
ATC was apprised of the situation and the controller suggested finding a road. The pilot saw a road with streetlights but determined that it was a neighborhood and would be high risk but then spotted a four-lane highway.
The aircraft was low and getting intermittent stall horn. A may day call was initiated and atlanta was told that they we were going down.
Once cleared the trees to the side of the four lane an almost continuous stall warning horn was heard.
The pilot headed for the grass next to the exit ramp.
The plane landed and was in one piece but on impact slide back down the exit ramp grade where the tail section hit the trees first. The rear passenger exited the aircraft by kicking out the back window. The pilot and front passenger forced open the right side door and exited the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING FROM THE FLIGHT PLANNING EQUIPMENT AT AUBURN UNIVERSITY AIRPORT (AUO), FOUR-FLIGHT SOFTWARE AND THE ATHENS ASOS. THE NIGHT WAS CLEAR ON DEPARTURE WITH ATHENS REPORTING 4100 BROKEN WITH 10 MILES VISIBILITY. THE PILOT PREFLIGHTED THE AIRCRAFT AND COMPLETED A RUN UP AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY.
THE DEPARTURE WAS NORMAL AND THE PILOT CONTACTED ATLANTA APPROACH RECEIVING VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING AND A SQUAWK CODE.
THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE INDICATED THAT THE PRESSURE FALLING AND HE IMMEDIATELY TURNED BACK FOR AUO. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH AND LOSING POWER WITH SPARKS COMING FROM UNDER THE COWLING. VERY QUICKLY, THE ENGINE STOPPED AND BEGAN FILLING THE CABIN WITH SMOKE.
ATC WAS APPRISED OF THE SITUATION AND THE CONTROLLER SUGGESTED FINDING A ROAD. THE PILOT SAW A ROAD WITH STREETLIGHTS BUT DETERMINED THAT IT WAS A NEIGHBORHOOD AND WOULD BE HIGH RISK BUT THEN SPOTTED A FOUR-LANE HIGHWAY.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOW AND GETTING INTERMITTENT STALL HORN. A MAY DAY CALL WAS INITIATED AND ATLANTA WAS TOLD THAT THEY WE WERE GOING DOWN.
ONCE CLEARED THE TREES TO THE SIDE OF THE FOUR LANE AN ALMOST CONTINUOUS STALL WARNING HORN WAS HEARD.
THE PILOT HEADED FOR THE GRASS NEXT TO THE EXIT RAMP.
THE PLANE LANDED AND WAS IN ONE PIECE BUT ON IMPACT SLIDE BACK DOWN THE EXIT RAMP GRADE WHERE THE TAIL SECTION HIT THE TREES FIRST. THE REAR PASSENGER EXITED THE AIRCRAFT BY KICKING OUT THE BACK WINDOW. THE PILOT AND FRONT PASSENGER FORCED OPEN THE RIGHT SIDE DOOR AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT.
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 N9398G · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.