What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft crashed into the Missouri river. (.4)a witness, who was fishing, said the airplane passed over at low altitude and that there was no noise from the engine. He reported that the airplane then collided with water, nosed over, and sank a short time later. The airplane had departed an airport about 180 miles from the accident site with full fuel. The pilot's flight instructor estimated that after being serviced with full fuel, the airplane's no-wind range was between 586 and 625 miles, depending on the altitude flown and power setting used. Witnesses saw no debris, fuel, or oil slick in the area where the airplane sank. The airplane was not retrieved due to water conditions. (-23) on August 9, 1997, at 2010 MDT, a grumman-american AA-5, N7148L, piloted by a private pilot, collided with the surface of lake sharpe, about 7 miles northwest of Lower Brule, south dakota. The airplane sank and has not been recovered. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal 14 CFR part 91 flight had been operating on a VFR flight plan. The pilot was fatally injured and his body was recovered 5 days after the accident. The flight departed siuox city, Iowa, exact time unknown. Investigation will continue if and when the aircraft is recovered.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO THE MISSOURI RIVER. (.4)A WITNESS, WHO WAS FISHING, SAID THE AIRPLANE PASSED OVER AT LOW ALTITUDE AND THAT THERE WAS NO NOISE FROM THE ENGINE. HE REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE THEN COLLIDED WITH WATER, NOSED OVER, AND SANK A SHORT TIME LATER. THE AIRPLANE HAD DEPARTED AN AIRPORT ABOUT 180 MILES FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE WITH FULL FUEL. THE PILOT'S FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ESTIMATED THAT AFTER BEING SERVICED WITH FULL FUEL, THE AIRPLANE'S NO-WIND RANGE WAS BETWEEN 586 AND 625 MILES, DEPENDING ON THE ALTITUDE FLOWN AND POWER SETTING USED. WITNESSES SAW NO DEBRIS, FUEL, OR OIL SLICK IN THE AREA WHERE THE AIRPLANE SANK. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT RETRIEVED DUE TO WATER CONDITIONS. (-23) ON AUGUST 9, 1997, AT 2010 MDT, A GRUMMAN-AMERICAN AA-5, N7148L, PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, COLLIDED WITH THE SURFACE OF LAKE SHARPE, ABOUT 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF LOWER BRULE, SOUTH DAKOTA. THE AIRPLANE SANK AND HAS NOT BEEN RECOVERED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT HAD BEEN OPERATING ON A VFR FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED AND HIS BODY WAS RECOVERED 5 DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED SIUOX CITY, IOWA, EXACT TIME UNKNOWN. INVESTIGATION WILL CONTINUE IF AND WHEN THE AIRCRAFT IS RECOVERED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.