What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On Wednesday, February 18, 1998, approximately 1940 local, on a flight from bassett, NE, to valentine, NE, N99270, en Ercoupe 415C, impacted the ground approximately 16 miles southeast of valentine, NE, resulting in fatal injuries to the pilot and substantial damage to the aircraft. (.19) on February 18, 1998, at 1915 central standard time (CST), an Ercoupe 415-C, N99270, operated by a commercial pilot, was destroyed when it departed controlled flight and impacted the terrain, 5 miles west of wood lake, Nebraska. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR part 91. The pilot was fatally injured. The flight originated at bassett, Nebraska, at 1900 CST, and was en route to valentine, Nebraska. (.4)the pilot took off from bassett, Nebraska, in a misty, light rain, at about 1930 central standard time (CST), en route to valentine, Nebraska [60 miles away]. At approximately 2100 CST, the airport manager at valentine received a telephone call from the pilot's sister, inquiring as to her brother's whereabouts. The airport manager called the fixed base operator at b assett. The pilot's sister contacted the cherry county, Nebraska, sheriff's department, and reported the pilot missing. The Nebraska wing of civil air patrol (cap), began an aerial search for the pilot's airplane at 2240 CST. The search was terminated 30 minutes later, when the cap pilot began picking up ice on the airplane at 1,000 feet above ground level (AGL). The aerial search was re-convened the following morning. The wreckage was found at aproximately 0830 CST. The aviation routine weather report (METAR) station at ainsworth, Nebraska, at 1952 CST, reported an overcast ceiling of 3,400 and 10 miles visibility. The sheriff, who was part of the ground search the night of the accident, described the weather as being a mixture of freezing drizzle, rain, and snow, with low clouds and low ceilings. On arrival at the accident site the following day, the sheriff said that he felt ice on the surface of one of the airplane's wings. Examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1998, APPROXIMATELY 1940 LOCAL, ON A FLIGHT FROM BASSETT, NE, TO VALENTINE, NE, N99270, EN ERCOUPE 415C, IMPACTED THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 16 MILES SOUTHEAST OF VALENTINE, NE, RESULTING IN FATAL INJURIES TO THE PILOT AND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. (.19) ON FEBRUARY 18, 1998, AT 1915 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME (CST), AN ERCOUPE 415-C, N99270, OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT DEPARTED CONTROLLED FLIGHT AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN, 5 MILES WEST OF WOOD LAKE, NEBRASKA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT BASSETT, NEBRASKA, AT 1900 CST, AND WAS EN ROUTE TO VALENTINE, NEBRASKA. (.4)THE PILOT TOOK OFF FROM BASSETT, NEBRASKA, IN A MISTY, LIGHT RAIN, AT ABOUT 1930 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME (CST), EN ROUTE TO VALENTINE, NEBRASKA [60 MILES AWAY]. AT APPROXIMATELY 2100 CST, THE AIRPORT MANAGER AT VALENTINE RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM THE PILOT'S SISTER, INQUIRING AS TO HER BROTHER'S WHEREABOUTS. THE AIRPORT MANAGER CALLED THE FIXED BASE OPERATOR AT B ASSETT. THE PILOT'S SISTER CONTACTED THE CHERRY COUNTY, NEBRASKA, SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, AND REPORTED THE PILOT MISSING. THE NEBRASKA WING OF CIVIL AIR PATROL (CAP), BEGAN AN AERIAL SEARCH FOR THE PILOT'S AIRPLANE AT 2240 CST. THE SEARCH WAS TERMINATED 30 MINUTES LATER, WHEN THE CAP PILOT BEGAN PICKING UP ICE ON THE AIRPLANE AT 1,000 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL). THE AERIAL SEARCH WAS RE-CONVENED THE FOLLOWING MORNING. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND AT APROXIMATELY 0830 CST. THE AVIATION ROUTINE WEATHER REPORT (METAR) STATION AT AINSWORTH, NEBRASKA, AT 1952 CST, REPORTED AN OVERCAST CEILING OF 3,400 AND 10 MILES VISIBILITY. THE SHERIFF, WHO WAS PART OF THE GROUND SEARCH THE NIGHT OF THE ACCIDENT, DESCRIBED THE WEATHER AS BEING A MIXTURE OF FREEZING DRIZZLE, RAIN, AND SNOW, WITH LOW CLOUDS AND LOW CEILINGS. ON ARRIVAL AT THE ACCIDENT SITE THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE SHERIFF SAID THAT HE FELT ICE ON THE SURFACE OF ONE OF THE AIRPLANE'S WINGS. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO ANOMALIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.