What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
According to preliminary flight track data, the airplane departed from huntsville municipal airport (uts), huntsville, Texas at 0830 with a destination of Ruston regional airport (rsn), Ruston, Louisiana. Preliminary ADS-B data showed the airplane on the RNAV approach for runway 36 before a series of “s” turns occurred. The data stops just north of the accident site. Preliminary ATC audio revealed that the approach controller had cleared the pilot for the RNAV 36. The pilot acknowledge, but shortly after the pilot radioed back to the approach controller to request a go-around. The approach controller acknowledge and responded to climb and maintain 2000 and to turn right heading 120. The approach clearance was cancelled. The approach controller asked the pilot if the visibility or ceilings were too low. The pilot responded that he was having a “little trouble with my autopilot there getting that programmed in”. The controller asked the pilot to verify the heading and gave a low altitude alert. The controller than again asked the pilot to verify the heading and asked the pilot if he was flying using the auto pilot or “hand flying”. The pilot responded that he was “hand flying” the airplane and there was no further communication from the pilot received.
The accident site was located in heavily wooded terrain 2.5 miles southeast from the beginning of runway 36 of the Ruston regional airport. The airplane first contacted a tree 60 ft tall, before contacting three other trees at altitudes of 30 ft, 27FT, and 24 ft respectively. The airplane continued in a nose low attitude towards the terrain in a left wing high, 110° bank angle before contacting the terrain. The impact crater was 30 ft from the initial tree strike. The impact crater was 2FT in depth and 6 ft in circumference. The main debris field was 200 ft in length in 60 ft wide and traveled along a 103° heading, with debris extending outwards 330 ft beyond the initial tree strike. A postcrash fire ensued and consumed various portions of the airplane. Fuel blighting was visible on vegetation throughout the debris field.
As the FAA filed it
ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY FLIGHT TRACK DATA, THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED FROM HUNTSVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (UTS), HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS AT 0830 WITH A DESTINATION OF RUSTON REGIONAL AIRPORT (RSN), RUSTON, LOUISIANA. PRELIMINARY ADS-B DATA SHOWED THE AIRPLANE ON THE RNAV APPROACH FOR RUNWAY 36 BEFORE A SERIES OF “S” TURNS OCCURRED. THE DATA STOPS JUST NORTH OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. PRELIMINARY ATC AUDIO REVEALED THAT THE APPROACH CONTROLLER HAD CLEARED THE PILOT FOR THE RNAV 36. THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGE, BUT SHORTLY AFTER THE PILOT RADIOED BACK TO THE APPROACH CONTROLLER TO REQUEST A GO-AROUND. THE APPROACH CONTROLLER ACKNOWLEDGE AND RESPONDED TO CLIMB AND MAINTAIN 2000 AND TO TURN RIGHT HEADING 120. THE APPROACH CLEARANCE WAS CANCELLED. THE APPROACH CONTROLLER ASKED THE PILOT IF THE VISIBILITY OR CEILINGS WERE TOO LOW. THE PILOT RESPONDED THAT HE WAS HAVING A “LITTLE TROUBLE WITH MY AUTOPILOT THERE GETTING THAT PROGRAMMED IN”. THE CONTROLLER ASKED THE PILOT TO VERIFY THE HEADING AND GAVE A LOW ALTITUDE ALERT. THE CONTROLLER THAN AGAIN ASKED THE PILOT TO VERIFY THE HEADING AND ASKED THE PILOT IF HE WAS FLYING USING THE AUTO PILOT OR “HAND FLYING”. THE PILOT RESPONDED THAT HE WAS “HAND FLYING” THE AIRPLANE AND THERE WAS NO FURTHER COMMUNICATION FROM THE PILOT RECEIVED.
THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS LOCATED IN HEAVILY WOODED TERRAIN 2.5 MILES SOUTHEAST FROM THE BEGINNING OF RUNWAY 36 OF THE RUSTON REGIONAL AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE FIRST CONTACTED A TREE 60 FT TALL, BEFORE CONTACTING THREE OTHER TREES AT ALTITUDES OF 30 FT, 27FT, AND 24 FT RESPECTIVELY. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE TERRAIN IN A LEFT WING HIGH, 110° BANK ANGLE BEFORE CONTACTING THE TERRAIN. THE IMPACT CRATER WAS 30 FT FROM THE INITIAL TREE STRIKE. THE IMPACT CRATER WAS 2FT IN DEPTH AND 6 FT IN CIRCUMFERENCE. THE MAIN DEBRIS FIELD WAS 200 FT IN LENGTH IN 60 FT WIDE AND TRAVELED ALONG A 103° HEADING, WITH DEBRIS EXTENDING OUTWARDS 330 FT BEYOND THE INITIAL TREE STRIKE. A POSTCRASH FIRE ENSUED AND CONSUMED VARIOUS PORTIONS OF THE AIRPLANE. FUEL BLIGHTING WAS VISIBLE ON VEGETATION THROUGHOUT THE DEBRIS FIELD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.