What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft departed cobb county airport, ga (kryy) at 0900 local. The intended flight was to be conducted in the clingman's dome area and then return to kryy. After departure the aircraft flew for approximately an hour powered by the engine. Once reaching the clingman's dome area near Gatlinburg, TN the pilot shutdown the engine and feathered the propeller to commence in gliding operations. The pilot reports that once he arrived in the area he had a northerly wind with gusts. He also stated that the winds were good for gliding and that he only had to reverse course a few times to leave a downdraft area to regain the updraft. After progressing for about 15NM east at approximately 5500 feet MSL the aircraft once again entered into a unexpected sink. The pilot turned the aircraft to the west and flew for approximately 1 NM to try regain the updraft. The pilot then turned again back to the east expecting to regain the updraft but encountered a significant sink. The aircraft started to descend quickly. At approximately 300 feet AGL the pilot unfeathered the propeller and restarted the engine. The aircraft continued to descend. The pilot reports that 1-2 seconds after restarting the engine the aircraft was approximately 150 feet AGL and he then deployed the aircraft's ballistic parachute. The aircraft struck the trees below and the aircraft came to rest in a nose down attitude. The aircraft was destroyed.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED COBB COUNTY AIRPORT, GA (KRYY) AT 0900 LOCAL. THE INTENDED FLIGHT WAS TO BE CONDUCTED IN THE CLINGMAN'S DOME AREA AND THEN RETURN TO KRYY. AFTER DEPARTURE THE AIRCRAFT FLEW FOR APPROXIMATELY AN HOUR POWERED BY THE ENGINE. ONCE REACHING THE CLINGMAN'S DOME AREA NEAR GATLINBURG, TN THE PILOT SHUTDOWN THE ENGINE AND FEATHERED THE PROPELLER TO COMMENCE IN GLIDING OPERATIONS. THE PILOT REPORTS THAT ONCE HE ARRIVED IN THE AREA HE HAD A NORTHERLY WIND WITH GUSTS. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE WINDS WERE GOOD FOR GLIDING AND THAT HE ONLY HAD TO REVERSE COURSE A FEW TIMES TO LEAVE A DOWNDRAFT AREA TO REGAIN THE UPDRAFT. AFTER PROGRESSING FOR ABOUT 15NM EAST AT APPROXIMATELY 5500 FEET MSL THE AIRCRAFT ONCE AGAIN ENTERED INTO A UNEXPECTED SINK. THE PILOT TURNED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE WEST AND FLEW FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 NM TO TRY REGAIN THE UPDRAFT. THE PILOT THEN TURNED AGAIN BACK TO THE EAST EXPECTING TO REGAIN THE UPDRAFT BUT ENCOUNTERED A SIGNIFICANT SINK. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO DESCEND QUICKLY. AT APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET AGL THE PILOT UNFEATHERED THE PROPELLER AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO DESCEND. THE PILOT REPORTS THAT 1-2 SECONDS AFTER RESTARTING THE ENGINE THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET AGL AND HE THEN DEPLOYED THE AIRCRAFT'S BALLISTIC PARACHUTE. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE TREES BELOW AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.