What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 2, 2020, at approximately 1400, the Washington FSDO received notification that N7323K, a Piper PA-20, had crashed in shennandoa national park near the meadow springs trail head. The accident site was approximatley three quarters of a mile down the trail in a deep ravine in heavy vegitation. The aircraft took off from Maryland airport (2W5) on August 31, 2020, at approximatley 1820 local time without filing a flight plan. Radar position was lost at 1900 local time. The weather data at the time of the accident indicated low clouds and rain were present. Flight track information showed the accident aircraft in a left spiral prior to impact. The wreckage was discovered by hikers on September 2, 2020 near the buck hollow trail.
An inspection of the accident site revealed the following:main wreckage was found wrapped around a tree in deep rugged terrain. The tree top was ripped off and was in the wreckage.
Propeller was found approximatley 20 feet north of the main wreckage.
The cockpit and engine could not be located at the accident site.
Aircraft mainenance logbooks and pilots logbooks were not recovered from the accident site. Backpack was found in a tree near main wreckage.
Numerous personal belongingings were found south of the of the accident site on the side of the mountain.
Numerous small pieces of the aircraft were found in the debris field.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2020, AT APPROXIMATELY 1400, THE WASHINGTON FSDO RECEIVED NOTIFICATION THAT N7323K, A PIPER PA-20, HAD CRASHED IN SHENNANDOA NATIONAL PARK NEAR THE MEADOW SPRINGS TRAIL HEAD. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS APPROXIMATLEY THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE DOWN THE TRAIL IN A DEEP RAVINE IN HEAVY VEGITATION. THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM MARYLAND AIRPORT (2W5) ON AUGUST 31, 2020, AT APPROXIMATLEY 1820 LOCAL TIME WITHOUT FILING A FLIGHT PLAN. RADAR POSITION WAS LOST AT 1900 LOCAL TIME. THE WEATHER DATA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT INDICATED LOW CLOUDS AND RAIN WERE PRESENT. FLIGHT TRACK INFORMATION SHOWED THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT IN A LEFT SPIRAL PRIOR TO IMPACT. THE WRECKAGE WAS DISCOVERED BY HIKERS ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 NEAR THE BUCK HOLLOW TRAIL.
AN INSPECTION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED THE FOLLOWING:MAIN WRECKAGE WAS FOUND WRAPPED AROUND A TREE IN DEEP RUGGED TERRAIN. THE TREE TOP WAS RIPPED OFF AND WAS IN THE WRECKAGE.
PROPELLER WAS FOUND APPROXIMATLEY 20 FEET NORTH OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE.
THE COCKPIT AND ENGINE COULD NOT BE LOCATED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE.
AIRCRAFT MAINENANCE LOGBOOKS AND PILOTS LOGBOOKS WERE NOT RECOVERED FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE.BACKPACK WAS FOUND IN A TREE NEAR MAIN WRECKAGE.
NUMEROUS PERSONAL BELONGINGINGS WERE FOUND SOUTH OF THE OF THE ACCIDENT SITE ON THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN.
NUMEROUS SMALL PIECES OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE FOUND IN THE DEBRIS FIELD.
Other reports on N7323K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.