What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)The pilot received a weather briefing, and subsequently filed an IFR flight plan to the Casa de Aero airport, Hampshire, Illinois. The air traffic control specialist asked the pilot if he had the airmets for turbulence and IFR conditions along his route of flight. The pilot responded, 'yeah, turbulence, icing and IFR, it's lovely.' While en route, the pilot contacted the kankakee, Illinois, fss, and requested weather conditions at dupage county airport, west chicago, Illinois. The pilot was informed that dupage was 400 feet AGL overcast, 5 miles visibility and mist, temperature and dew point of 1 degree celsius. The pilot then inquired about the weather at madison, Wisconsin, and was told the weather was a broken ceiling of 800 feet AGL, 1 1/2 mile visibility with light freezing drizzle, and a temperature of minus 1 degree celsius. The pilot then checked in with the chicago TRACON and reported level at 4,000 feet MSL. At 1838, the controller cleared the pilot for the VOR alpha approach into Casa de Aero airport, and subsequently told the pilot, 'frequency change is approved, and be sure you get to me to cancel [the IFR flight plan] please. I'm protecting the airspace.' At 1848, the airplane dropped below radar coverage and was not heard from again. The controller suspected that the airplane had landed. At 2220, a satellite mission control center began receiving the airplane's ELT signal. At 0230 CST, a cap ground team narrowed the location of the ELT signal to a field behind a rural residence. Weather conditions precluded the revealed areas of rime ice, approximately 1/4 inch thick adhering to the leading edges of the left and right horizontal stabilators, the leading edge of the vertical stabilizer, and along a 30-inch section of the leading edge of the right wing at mid-span. No other anomalies with the airplane wer revealed. (-23)from the debris found at the crash site, pilot was aware of icing conditions in the area. In to cockpit was found, a written report of icing conditions in rockford - saying reported rime ice and the rockford current weather.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)THE PILOT RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING, AND SUBSEQUENTLY FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN TO THE CASA DE AERO AIRPORT, HAMPSHIRE, ILLINOIS. THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SPECIALIST ASKED THE PILOT IF HE HAD THE AIRMETS FOR TURBULENCE AND IFR CONDITIONS ALONG HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT. THE PILOT RESPONDED, 'YEAH, TURBULENCE, ICING AND IFR, IT'S LOVELY.' WHILE EN ROUTE, THE PILOT CONTACTED THE KANKAKEE, ILLINOIS, FSS, AND REQUESTED WEATHER CONDITIONS AT DUPAGE COUNTY AIRPORT, WEST CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. THE PILOT WAS INFORMED THAT DUPAGE WAS 400 FEET AGL OVERCAST, 5 MILES VISIBILITY AND MIST, TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT OF 1 DEGREE CELSIUS. THE PILOT THEN INQUIRED ABOUT THE WEATHER AT MADISON, WISCONSIN, AND WAS TOLD THE WEATHER WAS A BROKEN CEILING OF 800 FEET AGL, 1 1/2 MILE VISIBILITY WITH LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE, AND A TEMPERATURE OF MINUS 1 DEGREE CELSIUS. THE PILOT THEN CHECKED IN WITH THE CHICAGO TRACON AND REPORTED LEVEL AT 4,000 FEET MSL. AT 1838, THE CONTROLLER CLEARED THE PILOT FOR THE VOR ALPHA APPROACH INTO CASA DE AERO AIRPORT, AND SUBSEQUENTLY TOLD THE PILOT, 'FREQUENCY CHANGE IS APPROVED, AND BE SURE YOU GET TO ME TO CANCEL [THE IFR FLIGHT PLAN] PLEASE. I'M PROTECTING THE AIRSPACE.' AT 1848, THE AIRPLANE DROPPED BELOW RADAR COVERAGE AND WAS NOT HEARD FROM AGAIN. THE CONTROLLER SUSPECTED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD LANDED. AT 2220, A SATELLITE MISSION CONTROL CENTER BEGAN RECEIVING THE AIRPLANE'S ELT SIGNAL. AT 0230 CST, A CAP GROUND TEAM NARROWED THE LOCATION OF THE ELT SIGNAL TO A FIELD BEHIND A RURAL RESIDENCE. WEATHER CONDITIONS PRECLUDED THE REVEALED AREAS OF RIME ICE, APPROXIMATELY 1/4 INCH THICK ADHERING TO THE LEADING EDGES OF THE LEFT AND RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILATORS, THE LEADING EDGE OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER, AND ALONG A 30-INCH SECTION OF THE LEADING EDGE OF THE RIGHT WING AT MID-SPAN. NO OTHER ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRPLANE WER REVEALED. (-23)FROM THE DEBRIS FOUND AT THE CRASH SITE, PILOT WAS AWARE OF ICING CONDITIONS IN THE AREA. IN TO COCKPIT WAS FOUND, A WRITTEN REPORT OF ICING CONDITIONS IN ROCKFORD - SAYING REPORTED RIME ICE AND THE ROCKFORD CURRENT WEATHER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.