What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot in command (PIC), operating privacy data omitteda PA-32-300 (serial number 32-40726) with no other souls onboard, was enroute from springfield Tennessee (M91) to fayetteville Tennessee (fym) and experienced a rough running engine and subsequent engine failure. The aircraft was destroyed with the pilot fatality. The PIC coordinated with nashville approach and attempted to divert and land at nashville international airport (bna). Loud knocking sounds could be heard during the pilot’s radio transmissions and then ceased when the engine failed completely. The pilot turned toward the southwest and attempted an emergency landing in a residential area privacy data omittedin Brentwood Tennessee. The aircraft struck power lines on the north side of old smyrna road and crashed into tree tops and was then suspended in the trees on the south side of the road. The aircraft’s major parts were in the top branches of the trees approximately 35-40 feet above the road surface.
An eye witness stated that he heard only a whistling sound before the crash and no engine noise and the aircraft had a nose-up attitude as it approached the power lines and trees. He also stated that pilot fell to road way pavement after the crash. The aircraft fuselage fell from the trees soon after and burned with fuel dripping from the wing that was suspended in the trees above.
A post-accident investigation revealed that the aircraft engine had seized. While on the scene, the Lycoming representative, discovered the oil sump filter to be full of debris. The aircraft engine was sent to the NTSB laboratory for further testing.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC), OPERATING ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^A PA-32-300 (SERIAL NUMBER 32-40726) WITH NO OTHER SOULS ONBOARD, WAS ENROUTE FROM SPRINGFIELD TENNESSEE (M91) TO FAYETTEVILLE TENNESSEE (FYM) AND EXPERIENCED A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE AND SUBSEQUENT ENGINE FAILURE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED WITH THE PILOT FATALITY. THE PIC COORDINATED WITH NASHVILLE APPROACH AND ATTEMPTED TO DIVERT AND LAND AT NASHVILLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (BNA). LOUD KNOCKING SOUNDS COULD BE HEARD DURING THE PILOT’S RADIO TRANSMISSIONS AND THEN CEASED WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED COMPLETELY. THE PILOT TURNED TOWARD THE SOUTHWEST AND ATTEMPTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^IN BRENTWOOD TENNESSEE. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK POWER LINES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF OLD SMYRNA ROAD AND CRASHED INTO TREE TOPS AND WAS THEN SUSPENDED IN THE TREES ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE AIRCRAFT’S MAJOR PARTS WERE IN THE TOP BRANCHES OF THE TREES APPROXIMATELY 35-40 FEET ABOVE THE ROAD SURFACE.
AN EYE WITNESS STATED THAT HE HEARD ONLY A WHISTLING SOUND BEFORE THE CRASH AND NO ENGINE NOISE AND THE AIRCRAFT HAD A NOSE-UP ATTITUDE AS IT APPROACHED THE POWER LINES AND TREES. HE ALSO STATED THAT PILOT FELL TO ROAD WAY PAVEMENT AFTER THE CRASH. THE AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE FELL FROM THE TREES SOON AFTER AND BURNED WITH FUEL DRIPPING FROM THE WING THAT WAS SUSPENDED IN THE TREES ABOVE.
A POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE HAD SEIZED. WHILE ON THE SCENE, THE LYCOMING REPRESENTATIVE, DISCOVERED THE OIL SUMP FILTER TO BE FULL OF DEBRIS. THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE WAS SENT TO THE NTSB LABORATORY FOR FURTHER TESTING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.