What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Turning final at night encountered fog. Lost control in turn. Began level too late. VFR pilot loss of control. (-23) pilot departed portsmouth, OH (pmh) for Pike county, OH (I57) at 2330 LCL. Pilot activated airport lighting system via UNICOM requency. Upon entering left base leg for runway 25, pilot encountered dense fog and became disoriented. He crashed in a field east of the airport. The PIC suffered minor injuries refusing medical treatment at the scene. There were no passengers. There was no fire upon impact. Aircraft was totally destroyed.
As the FAA filed it
TURNING FINAL AT NIGHT ENCOUNTERED FOG. LOST CONTROL IN TURN. BEGAN LEVEL TOO LATE. VFR PILOT LOSS OF CONTROL. (-23) PILOT DEPARTED PORTSMOUTH, OH (PMH) FOR PIKE COUNTY, OH (I57) AT 2330 LCL. PILOT ACTIVATED AIRPORT LIGHTING SYSTEM VIA UNICOM REQUENCY. UPON ENTERING LEFT BASE LEG FOR RUNWAY 25, PILOT ENCOUNTERED DENSE FOG AND BECAME DISORIENTED. HE CRASHED IN A FIELD EAST OF THE AIRPORT. THE PIC SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES REFUSING MEDICAL TREATMENT AT THE SCENE. THERE WERE NO PASSENGERS. THERE WAS NO FIRE UPON IMPACT. AIRCRAFT WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.