What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot requested to climb to 6500FT, next transmission was a help me, lost radar and radio contact. Crashed. (.4)the non-instrument rated private pilot was advised by the FAA flight service station (fss) specialist that '...there have been IFR ceilings and visibilities through [your] route [of flight].' The specialist told the pilot that the ceiling about 15 miles south of the accident site was varying between 300 and 1,300-feet above the ground. The specialist told the pilot that conditions should start to improve within an hour to an hour-and-a-half after their conversation. The pilot said she'd call back in '...a half hour or so.' There was no record of the return telephone call by the pilot. About 2-hours later, the pilot contacted approach control and reported the airplane was level at 2,500-feet above mean sea level (MSL). About 12 minutes later the pilot asked the controller if she could climb to 5,500- feet MSL. The controller suggested she climb the airplane to 6,500-feet MSL due to her northwesterly heading. The pilot advised the controller she would climb the airplane to 4,500-feet MSL. Another pilot reported (PIREP) instr ument meteorological conditions at 5,000-feet MSL to the controller. About 4-minutes after the PIREP the pilot of the accident airplane requested a climb to 6,500-feet MSL. The controller approved the climb. About a minute later the controller reported hearing a distress call from an unknown source, 'help me. Help me'. Witnesses reported seeing the airplane exit the clouds in a steep, pitched down attitude. They reported the airplane's right wing disintegrated as it banked to the left. The airplane was destroyed during an in-flight breakup and collision with trees and the ground. No anomalies were found with the airframe, control system or engine that would have prevented flight.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT REQUESTED TO CLIMB TO 6500FT, NEXT TRANSMISSION WAS A HELP ME, LOST RADAR AND RADIO CONTACT. CRASHED. (.4)THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS ADVISED BY THE FAA FLIGHT SERVICE STATION (FSS) SPECIALIST THAT '...THERE HAVE BEEN IFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES THROUGH [YOUR] ROUTE [OF FLIGHT].' THE SPECIALIST TOLD THE PILOT THAT THE CEILING ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTH OF THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS VARYING BETWEEN 300 AND 1,300-FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE SPECIALIST TOLD THE PILOT THAT CONDITIONS SHOULD START TO IMPROVE WITHIN AN HOUR TO AN HOUR-AND-A-HALF AFTER THEIR CONVERSATION. THE PILOT SAID SHE'D CALL BACK IN '...A HALF HOUR OR SO.' THERE WAS NO RECORD OF THE RETURN TELEPHONE CALL BY THE PILOT. ABOUT 2-HOURS LATER, THE PILOT CONTACTED APPROACH CONTROL AND REPORTED THE AIRPLANE WAS LEVEL AT 2,500-FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL). ABOUT 12 MINUTES LATER THE PILOT ASKED THE CONTROLLER IF SHE COULD CLIMB TO 5,500- FEET MSL. THE CONTROLLER SUGGESTED SHE CLIMB THE AIRPLANE TO 6,500-FEET MSL DUE TO HER NORTHWESTERLY HEADING. THE PILOT ADVISED THE CONTROLLER SHE WOULD CLIMB THE AIRPLANE TO 4,500-FEET MSL. ANOTHER PILOT REPORTED (PIREP) INSTR UMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AT 5,000-FEET MSL TO THE CONTROLLER. ABOUT 4-MINUTES AFTER THE PIREP THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE REQUESTED A CLIMB TO 6,500-FEET MSL. THE CONTROLLER APPROVED THE CLIMB. ABOUT A MINUTE LATER THE CONTROLLER REPORTED HEARING A DISTRESS CALL FROM AN UNKNOWN SOURCE, 'HELP ME. HELP ME'. WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE EXIT THE CLOUDS IN A STEEP, PITCHED DOWN ATTITUDE. THEY REPORTED THE AIRPLANE'S RIGHT WING DISINTEGRATED AS IT BANKED TO THE LEFT. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED DURING AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP AND COLLISION WITH TREES AND THE GROUND. NO ANOMALIES WERE FOUND WITH THE AIRFRAME, CONTROL SYSTEM OR ENGINE THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED FLIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.