What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 04, 2021 about 09:27 central standard time, a twin engine, piston powered airplane, N325GC collided with terrain about 16 miles southwest of jonesboro airport (kjbr) near the town of Cash, Arkansas. The certificated private pilot and passenger died and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to privacy data omitted.
Brief description of circumstances surrounding occurrence:
Aircraft departed jonesboro airport and contacted air traffic shortly after takeoff. ATC cleared N325GC to destination and assigned altitude of 6000 feet. Aircraft climbed to 2300 feet before starting a slow descent. ATC noticed the aircraft was descending and attempted to contact. After descending TO700F feet, ATC attempted an airborne relay thru N1057T, event aircraft did not respond. ATC lost radar approximately 16 miles southwest of jbr lat/lon 35.43N/90.57W.
The federal aviation administration became aware of the accident on January 04, 2021 at approximately 09:30 central standard time.
The regional operations control (roc) contacted little rock flight standards office aviation safety inspector (ASI) at approximately 10:25 central standard time and advised of the accident. ASI received a call from AVP-100 shortly after notification from roc and contacted front line manager (flm). Flm assigned investigating inspector charge (iic). Little rock flight standards district office (FSDO) informed iic that NTSB investigators would not be on site and to perform this investigation as a delegated representative. Inspector contacted poinsett county sheriff?s department and requested accident site be secured. Iic granted approval for county coroner to remove the bodies.
On January 05, 2021 about 08:35 central standard time, two investigating inspectors arrived on site. Investigating inspectors actions on the accident site were assisted by a representative from privacy data omitted.
Initial investigation of accident site revealed post-crash fire had destroyed the aircraft with only portions the tail section remaining for inspection. The tail section revealed the leading edge and underside of the left elevator were damaged. Tail section damage appeared to have been caused from striking the top wire of an east to west, high tension power line. The weight from the left elevator control surface was detached. It was located about 250 feet east of the impact.
Two witnesses, hunting near the accident site, provided statements. Witnesses were not as same location (approximately half a mile apart), both stated the aircraft was flying low, about 1000 feet above the ground or lower, in an east to west direction and one or both engines did not sound to be operating normal. Each witness stated the engine was making a sputtering noise and sounded like it was backfiring. 
Air traffic voice recordings:
Review was unremarkable.
Airframe analysis
Beechcraft air safety investigator inspected wreckage on February 3rd and 4th at privacy data omitted., located in clinton Arkansas. Reference air safety investigation field notes, TH-2204 rev a.
Maintenance records
Review if maintenance records obtained was unremarkable.
Combustion heater
The combustion heater was removed from the aircraft and examined. The combustion blower fan and housing did not exhibit signs of rotation at impact. The cabin heater blower fan did not exhibit signs of rotation at impact. The iris valve was observed fully open. The cabin heat handle was in the full open position. The heater control wiring did not exhibit evidence of melting or burning. Masking tape indicating wire position was observed on the wires and were not consumed by fire.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 04, 2021 ABOUT 09:27 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A TWIN ENGINE, PISTON POWERED AIRPLANE, N325GC COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN ABOUT 16 MILES SOUTHWEST OF JONESBORO AIRPORT (KJBR) NEAR THE TOWN OF CASH, ARKANSAS. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT AND PASSENGER DIED AND THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING OCCURRENCE:
AIRCRAFT DEPARTED JONESBORO AIRPORT AND CONTACTED AIR TRAFFIC SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. ATC CLEARED N325GC TO DESTINATION AND ASSIGNED ALTITUDE OF 6000 FEET. AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO 2300 FEET BEFORE STARTING A SLOW DESCENT. ATC NOTICED THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESCENDING AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT. AFTER DESCENDING TO700F FEET, ATC ATTEMPTED AN AIRBORNE RELAY THRU N1057T, EVENT AIRCRAFT DID NOT RESPOND. ATC LOST RADAR APPROXIMATELY 16 MILES SOUTHWEST OF JBR LAT/LON 35.43N/90.57W.
THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION BECAME AWARE OF THE ACCIDENT ON JANUARY 04, 2021 AT APPROXIMATELY 09:30 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME.
THE REGIONAL OPERATIONS CONTROL (ROC) CONTACTED LITTLE ROCK FLIGHT STANDARDS OFFICE AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR (ASI) AT APPROXIMATELY 10:25 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME AND ADVISED OF THE ACCIDENT. ASI RECEIVED A CALL FROM AVP-100 SHORTLY AFTER NOTIFICATION FROM ROC AND CONTACTED FRONT LINE MANAGER (FLM). FLM ASSIGNED INVESTIGATING INSPECTOR CHARGE (IIC). LITTLE ROCK FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE (FSDO) INFORMED IIC THAT NTSB INVESTIGATORS WOULD NOT BE ON SITE AND TO PERFORM THIS INVESTIGATION AS A DELEGATED REPRESENTATIVE. INSPECTOR CONTACTED POINSETT COUNTY SHERIFF?S DEPARTMENT AND REQUESTED ACCIDENT SITE BE SECURED. IIC GRANTED APPROVAL FOR COUNTY CORONER TO REMOVE THE BODIES.
ON JANUARY 05, 2021 ABOUT 08:35 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, TWO INVESTIGATING INSPECTORS ARRIVED ON SITE. INVESTIGATING INSPECTORS ACTIONS ON THE ACCIDENT SITE WERE ASSISTED BY A REPRESENTATIVE FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.
INITIAL INVESTIGATION OF ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED POST-CRASH FIRE HAD DESTROYED THE AIRCRAFT WITH ONLY PORTIONS THE TAIL SECTION REMAINING FOR INSPECTION. THE TAIL SECTION REVEALED THE LEADING EDGE AND UNDERSIDE OF THE LEFT ELEVATOR WERE DAMAGED. TAIL SECTION DAMAGE APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED FROM STRIKING THE TOP WIRE OF AN EAST TO WEST, HIGH TENSION POWER LINE. THE WEIGHT FROM THE LEFT ELEVATOR CONTROL SURFACE WAS DETACHED. IT WAS LOCATED ABOUT 250 FEET EAST OF THE IMPACT.
TWO WITNESSES, HUNTING NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE, PROVIDED STATEMENTS. WITNESSES WERE NOT AS SAME LOCATION (APPROXIMATELY HALF A MILE APART), BOTH STATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING LOW, ABOUT 1000 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND OR LOWER, IN AN EAST TO WEST DIRECTION AND ONE OR BOTH ENGINES DID NOT SOUND TO BE OPERATING NORMAL. EACH WITNESS STATED THE ENGINE WAS MAKING A SPUTTERING NOISE AND SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS BACKFIRING. 
AIR TRAFFIC VOICE RECORDINGS:
REVIEW WAS UNREMARKABLE.
AIRFRAME ANALYSIS
BEECHCRAFT AIR SAFETY INVESTIGATOR INSPECTED WRECKAGE ON FEBRUARY 3RD AND 4TH AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^., LOCATED IN CLINTON ARKANSAS. REFERENCE AIR SAFETY INVESTIGATION FIELD NOTES, TH-2204 REV A.
MAINTENANCE RECORDS
REVIEW IF MAINTENANCE RECORDS OBTAINED WAS UNREMARKABLE.
COMBUSTION HEATER
THE COMBUSTION HEATER WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND EXAMINED. THE COMBUSTION BLOWER FAN AND HOUSING DID NOT EXHIBIT SIGNS OF ROTATION AT IMPACT. THE CABIN HEATER BLOWER FAN DID NOT EXHIBIT SIGNS OF ROTATION AT IMPACT. THE IRIS VALVE WAS OBSERVED FULLY OPEN. THE CABIN HEAT HANDLE WAS IN THE FULL OPEN POSITION. THE HEATER CONTROL WIRING DID NOT EXHIBIT EVIDENCE OF MELTING OR BURNING. MASKING TAPE INDICATING WIRE POSITION WAS OBSERVED ON THE WIRES AND WERE NOT CONSUMED BY FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.