What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
09/15/2021 - N888DV serial # 1000 operated by privacy data omitted traveling from thomasville, Georgia to a unknown destination went missing from radar @ 2045 over the oconee national wildlife forrest in jasper county Georgia. 09/16/2021 @ 1245, N888DV was located on a hill side approx. 1 mile east of juliette road in jasper county. Aircraft experienced a high angle high energy impact to the terrain. The weather at the time of impact area was IMC conditions. There were 3 people on board, no survivors. The pilot was certificated with commercial rotorcraft certificate having over 6000 hours. Aircraft records show the aircraft was a Robinson R-66, serial number 1000, registration number N888DV and had a current annual and 100 hr. Inspection.
ADS-B data shows N888DV departed thomasville regional airport @ approx. 1840 headed north toward albany Georgia, when the rotorcraft was over andersonville it started a large left hand looping figure eight toward the northeast bringing it back over andersonville moving east passing over byromville then turning north to perry airport, where it landed at approx. 2015. At approximately 2020, N888DV took off heading north, at approx. 2045 N888DV started a right hand turn and last ADS-B data shows aircraft impacted the terrain at 2045 and 59 sec.
The rotorcraft wreckage was located in the oconee national wildlife forrest at (33°10'35N, 083°46'10W). The aircraft came in contact with a pine tree then impacting the ground approx. 75 ft. away. Damage to the tree limbs indicated the rotorcraft was in a 90° bank at initial impact. The rotorcraft struck the ground creating a 2FT. Deep by 6FT. Wide by 8 ft. long crater. And coming to rest 48 ft. from crater. Main rotor and transmission was separated from the fuselage and engine, post accident cockpit fire and tree damage indicated aircraft had fuel at the time of impact. Post accident teardown revealed engine was running at the time of impact.
As the FAA filed it
09/15/2021 - N888DV SERIAL # 1000 OPERATED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TRAVELING FROM THOMASVILLE, GEORGIA TO A UNKNOWN DESTINATION WENT MISSING FROM RADAR @ 2045 OVER THE OCONEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE FORREST IN JASPER COUNTY GEORGIA. 09/16/2021 @ 1245, N888DV WAS LOCATED ON A HILL SIDE APPROX. 1 MILE EAST OF JULIETTE ROAD IN JASPER COUNTY. AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A HIGH ANGLE HIGH ENERGY IMPACT TO THE TERRAIN. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF IMPACT AREA WAS IMC CONDITIONS. THERE WERE 3 PEOPLE ON BOARD, NO SURVIVORS. THE PILOT WAS CERTIFICATED WITH COMMERCIAL ROTORCRAFT CERTIFICATE HAVING OVER 6000 HOURS. AIRCRAFT RECORDS SHOW THE AIRCRAFT WAS A ROBINSON R-66, SERIAL NUMBER 1000, REGISTRATION NUMBER N888DV AND HAD A CURRENT ANNUAL AND 100 HR. INSPECTION.
ADS-B DATA SHOWS N888DV DEPARTED THOMASVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT @ APPROX. 1840 HEADED NORTH TOWARD ALBANY GEORGIA, WHEN THE ROTORCRAFT WAS OVER ANDERSONVILLE IT STARTED A LARGE LEFT HAND LOOPING FIGURE EIGHT TOWARD THE NORTHEAST BRINGING IT BACK OVER ANDERSONVILLE MOVING EAST PASSING OVER BYROMVILLE THEN TURNING NORTH TO PERRY AIRPORT, WHERE IT LANDED AT APPROX. 2015. AT APPROXIMATELY 2020, N888DV TOOK OFF HEADING NORTH, AT APPROX. 2045 N888DV STARTED A RIGHT HAND TURN AND LAST ADS-B DATA SHOWS AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN AT 2045 AND 59 SEC.
THE ROTORCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN THE OCONEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE FORREST AT (33°10'35N, 083°46'10W). THE AIRCRAFT CAME IN CONTACT WITH A PINE TREE THEN IMPACTING THE GROUND APPROX. 75 FT. AWAY. DAMAGE TO THE TREE LIMBS INDICATED THE ROTORCRAFT WAS IN A 90° BANK AT INITIAL IMPACT. THE ROTORCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND CREATING A 2FT. DEEP BY 6FT. WIDE BY 8 FT. LONG CRATER. AND COMING TO REST 48 FT. FROM CRATER. MAIN ROTOR AND TRANSMISSION WAS SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE AND ENGINE, POST ACCIDENT COCKPIT FIRE AND TREE DAMAGE INDICATED AIRCRAFT HAD FUEL AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. POST ACCIDENT TEARDOWN REVEALED ENGINE WAS RUNNING AT THE TIME OF IMPACT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.