North Carolina Tower Crew Knew It Was In Trouble

The bodies of two people killed in a North Carolina general aviation accident have been recovered from an apartment complex lake near Cary (NC). The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

The weather was rough and the Mooney M-20M was on its third approach, according to the FAA preliminary report. The aircraft went down in a lake surrounded by the Brampton Moors Apartments. Debris from the aircraft's watery impact landed within 20 feet of some of the buildings.

"I heard a big, old boom and I went and got my shoes and pants on. I looked out and didn't see anything, then I started hearing the sirens," witness Eric Waters told WRAL TV.

Residents of the complex rushed to the lake to help. Some dove into the water, but were unable to find any survivors.

The aircraft, owned by TLSB, Inc., a Delaware company, was en route from Columbia (SC) to Raleigh-Durham when it went down at around 3:00 pm EDT Sunday, according to officials. The crash investigation is underway.

FAA Preliminary Accident Report

IDENTIFICATION
 Regis#: 91514    Make/Model: MO20   Description: MO-20
 Date: 05/03/2004   Time: 1917

 Event Type: Accident  Highest Injury: Fatal   Mid Air: N  Missing: N
 Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
 City: RALEIGH           State: NC  Country: US

DESCRIPTION
 ACFT ABORTED AN APPROACH AND CRASHED DURING VECTORS FOR THIRD ATTEMPT TO
 LAND, TWO PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, ACFT WAS DESTROYED,
 RALEIGH-DURHAM, NC

INJURY DATA   Total Fatal:  2
         # Crew:  1   Fat:  1   Ser:  0   Min:  0   Unk: 
         # Pass:   1   Fat:  1   Ser:  0   Min:  0   Unk: 
         # Grnd:        Fat:  0   Ser:  0   Min:  0   Unk: 

WEATHER: RDU METAR 031915Z 03009KT 2 1/2SM BKN008 OVC018 11/11 A2991        
                                          
                            

OTHER DATA
 Activity: Unknown   Phase: Approach   Operation: General Aviation

 Departed: COLUMBIA, SC        Dep Date:  Dep. Time:  
 Destination: RALEIGHDURHAM, NC    Flt Plan: IFR     Wx Briefing: Y
 Last Radio Cont: RDU 190007
 Last Clearance: MAINTAIN 3000, TURN RIGHT HDG230

 FAA FSDO: WINSTON-SALEM, NC (SO05)       Entry date: 05/04/2004

FMI: www.ntsb.gov