What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The uncertificated pilot departed from kdwh at 1 am in N315AM, a Piper saratoga. The aircraft arrived at the small-unlit Airstrip the pilot owned near Zavalla, Texas at about 1:30 am. The pilot was circling trying to locate the runway. A witness heard an aircraft over the area near the Airstrip for approximately 30 minutes before the aircraft noise stopped about 2 am.
The aircraft collided with the tree line on the west side of the open area and impacted the ground. The aircraft came to rest in the open area on the east side of the tree line at approximately 300 yards from the north end of the runway. The ensuing post-crash fire destroyed the aircraft with one fatality. Automated weather at nearby airport kjas reported temperature 27 with due point at 26.
This information is based on current available facts. The report will be updated if New facts are discovered from the NTSB or medical evaluation.
Medical evaluation pilots toxicology report:privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
THE UNCERTIFICATED PILOT DEPARTED FROM KDWH AT 1 AM IN N315AM, A PIPER SARATOGA. THE AIRCRAFT ARRIVED AT THE SMALL-UNLIT AIRSTRIP THE PILOT OWNED NEAR ZAVALLA, TEXAS AT ABOUT 1:30 AM. THE PILOT WAS CIRCLING TRYING TO LOCATE THE RUNWAY. A WITNESS HEARD AN AIRCRAFT OVER THE AREA NEAR THE AIRSTRIP FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT NOISE STOPPED ABOUT 2 AM.
THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE TREE LINE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE OPEN AREA AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN THE OPEN AREA ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE TREE LINE AT APPROXIMATELY 300 YARDS FROM THE NORTH END OF THE RUNWAY. THE ENSUING POST-CRASH FIRE DESTROYED THE AIRCRAFT WITH ONE FATALITY. AUTOMATED WEATHER AT NEARBY AIRPORT KJAS REPORTED TEMPERATURE 27 WITH DUE POINT AT 26.
THIS INFORMATION IS BASED ON CURRENT AVAILABLE FACTS. THE REPORT WILL BE UPDATED IF NEW FACTS ARE DISCOVERED FROM THE NTSB OR MEDICAL EVALUATION.
MEDICAL EVALUATION PILOTS TOXICOLOGY REPORT:^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.