What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Low time VFR pilot departed into IFR weather near lake at night. Found pilot and debris two months later near shore (-23) the non-instument rated private pilot departed Waukegan, Illinois at 1741 CST with an intended destination of valparaiso, Indiana. His medical certificate held the restriction: "not valid for night flying or by color signal control". Witnesses reported seeing a similar airplane and hearing a rough-runnin engine over lake Michigan south of the departure airport at 1745 CST. They described the weather conditions as a low overcast with moderate to heavy snow showers. The airplane never arrived at is intended destination. Units of the civil air patrol, coast guard, chicago police department marine unit searched for the airplane without success. The search was suspended on April 6, 1995.
As the FAA filed it
LOW TIME VFR PILOT DEPARTED INTO IFR WEATHER NEAR LAKE AT NIGHT. FOUND PILOT AND DEBRIS TWO MONTHS LATER NEAR SHORE (-23) THE NON-INSTUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS AT 1741 CST WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION OF VALPARAISO, INDIANA. HIS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE HELD THE RESTRICTION: "NOT VALID FOR NIGHT FLYING OR BY COLOR SIGNAL CONTROL". WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING A SIMILAR AIRPLANE AND HEARING A ROUGH-RUNNIN ENGINE OVER LAKE MICHIGAN SOUTH OF THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT AT 1745 CST. THEY DESCRIBED THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AS A LOW OVERCAST WITH MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW SHOWERS. THE AIRPLANE NEVER ARRIVED AT IS INTENDED DESTINATION. UNITS OF THE CIVIL AIR PATROL, COAST GUARD, CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT MARINE UNIT SEARCHED FOR THE AIRPLANE WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE SEARCH WAS SUSPENDED ON APRIL 6, 1995.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.