What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Preliminary FAA radar track data revealed that the accident airplane departed north central west Virginia airport (kckb) runway 21 at 1246 and proceeded to climb at a steady rate of climb to about 3,000 ft mean sea level (MSL) on a northeast heading of about 050° for about 4 minutes. The airplane then leveled off for about one minute, and then re-entered a climb at an increased rate, where after about 2 minutes, the airplane reached 5,500 ft MSL, and a ground speed of 46 knots was recorded. Subsequently, the flight track showed the airplane complete a tight 180° left turn, where the final radar point is recorded, showing the airplane at 105 knots ground speed, headed 212° southwest, at 5,100 ft MSL. The final radar point was about .25 nautical mile from the main wreckage. The aircraft was destroyed when it impacted trees and terrain while enroute near Grafton, west Virginia. The private pilot was fatally injured. According to leidos flight service, there was no flight plan filed for the flight that originated from kckb. The 1253 recorded weather observation at kckb, which was located about 10 miles southwest of the accident site, included a broken ceiling at 1,800 ft above ground level (AGL), an overcast ceiling at 2,300 ft AGL, visibility 10 statute miles, wind 260° at 6 knots, temperature was 4° c, dew point -2° c; and the altimeter setting was 29.83 inches of mercury.
As the FAA filed it
PRELIMINARY FAA RADAR TRACK DATA REVEALED THAT THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE DEPARTED NORTH CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA AIRPORT (KCKB) RUNWAY 21 AT 1246 AND PROCEEDED TO CLIMB AT A STEADY RATE OF CLIMB TO ABOUT 3,000 FT MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL) ON A NORTHEAST HEADING OF ABOUT 050° FOR ABOUT 4 MINUTES. THE AIRPLANE THEN LEVELED OFF FOR ABOUT ONE MINUTE, AND THEN RE-ENTERED A CLIMB AT AN INCREASED RATE, WHERE AFTER ABOUT 2 MINUTES, THE AIRPLANE REACHED 5,500 FT MSL, AND A GROUND SPEED OF 46 KNOTS WAS RECORDED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE FLIGHT TRACK SHOWED THE AIRPLANE COMPLETE A TIGHT 180° LEFT TURN, WHERE THE FINAL RADAR POINT IS RECORDED, SHOWING THE AIRPLANE AT 105 KNOTS GROUND SPEED, HEADED 212° SOUTHWEST, AT 5,100 FT MSL. THE FINAL RADAR POINT WAS ABOUT .25 NAUTICAL MILE FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TREES AND TERRAIN WHILE ENROUTE NEAR GRAFTON, WEST VIRGINIA. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. ACCORDING TO LEIDOS FLIGHT SERVICE, THERE WAS NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED FOR THE FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED FROM KCKB. THE 1253 RECORDED WEATHER OBSERVATION AT KCKB, WHICH WAS LOCATED ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, INCLUDED A BROKEN CEILING AT 1,800 FT ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL), AN OVERCAST CEILING AT 2,300 FT AGL, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, WIND 260° AT 6 KNOTS, TEMPERATURE WAS 4° C, DEW POINT -2° C; AND THE ALTIMETER SETTING WAS 29.83 INCHES OF MERCURY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.