What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Dropped passengers. Departes sans weather check. Flew into thunderstorm. Lost control. Impacted trees and burned. (-23) aircraft as on a VFR part 91 flight after dropping passengers at thief river falls, MN. Aircraft was enroute to minot, ND. A line of thunderstorms approximately 75 miles long was between aircraft and destination. Witnesses observed aircraft westbound at low altitude flying toward area of deteriorating weather, thunderstorms, and gusty winds. Aircraft appeared to witnesses as trying to fly under approaching low clouds which reached almost to the ground. One witness observed the aircraft at a low altitude crossing over the freeway and a few seconds later observed a fireball.
As the FAA filed it
DROPPED PASSENGERS. DEPARTES SANS WEATHER CHECK. FLEW INTO THUNDERSTORM. LOST CONTROL. IMPACTED TREES AND BURNED. (-23) AIRCRAFT AS ON A VFR PART 91 FLIGHT AFTER DROPPING PASSENGERS AT THIEF RIVER FALLS, MN. AIRCRAFT WAS ENROUTE TO MINOT, ND. A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS APPROXIMATELY 75 MILES LONG WAS BETWEEN AIRCRAFT AND DESTINATION. WITNESSES OBSERVED AIRCRAFT WESTBOUND AT LOW ALTITUDE FLYING TOWARD AREA OF DETERIORATING WEATHER, THUNDERSTORMS, AND GUSTY WINDS. AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO WITNESSES AS TRYING TO FLY UNDER APPROACHING LOW CLOUDS WHICH REACHED ALMOST TO THE GROUND. ONE WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT AT A LOW ALTITUDE CROSSING OVER THE FREEWAY AND A FEW SECONDS LATER OBSERVED A FIREBALL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.