FTW87FA021

Factual narrative

THE PLT DEPARTED ARCOLA, TX, VFR, ON RWY 10, MADE A 180 DEGREE LEFT CLIMBING TURN AND ENTERED CLOUDS AT ABOUT THE BOUNDARY LINE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE ARPT. THE RADAR OPERATOR STATED THE ACFT CONTINUED WESTBOUND ONE TO TWO MILES BEYOND THE ARPT THEN ENTERED AN ABRUPT LEFT DESCENDING TURN AND DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR. THE ACFT DESCENDED FROM THE LOW CLOUDS INTO A SMALL CLEARING AT HIGH RATE OF SPEED. IT CLIPPED THE TOP FROM TWO SMALL TREES IN THE CLEARING AND ATTEMPTED TO CLIMB. LIGHT GROUND CONTACT WAS MADE AND THEN THE ACFT IMPACTED AND SEPARATED A LARGE DEAD TREE IMMEDIATELY ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. IT THEN CLIMBED TO AN ALTITUDE OF 20-25 FT AND COLLIDED WITH OTHER LARGE TREES. IT CONTINUED TRAVEL ABOUT 100 FT INTO A HEAVILY WOODED AREA AND CAME TO REST IN A NEAR VERTICAL NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12