What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The private pilot, Mr. Harnack, was not instrument rated. He had received a weather briefing prior to departure. During the flight it appears he inadvertently flew into a possible area of embedded thunderstorms and IMC conditions. Caught in the dark, without an instrument rating, the pilot either became disoriented and put undo stress on the aircraft or flew into a thunderstorm and the aircraft experienced an in-flight break up. (.4) the flight departed airlake airport, minneapolis, Minnesota en route to rock county airport, janesville, Wisconsin. According to radar data, the images showed activity in the area of the accident site. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot did not possess an airplane instrument rating. At 1928 central daylight time, a person, who stated that his aircraft was N9350N received a visual flight rule weather briefing the briefer reported that a northeast southwest orientated cold front was moving through the area, ahead of which was a huge area of thunderstorms and rain showers which started around rochester and extended to the steven's point area. The caller reported, during his weather b riefing, that he was looking at the radar of convective activity on a screen in front of him. There were no radio communications with the accident aircraft and flight watch or minneapolis center. The wreckage was found over a 1,350 foot by 1,030 foot area. Both wings, vertical stabilizer and left half of the stabilator were not located with the aircraft's fuselage and exhibited deformation at their separation points.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PRIVATE PILOT, MR. HARNACK, WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED. HE HAD RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. DURING THE FLIGHT IT APPEARS HE INADVERTENTLY FLEW INTO A POSSIBLE AREA OF EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS AND IMC CONDITIONS. CAUGHT IN THE DARK, WITHOUT AN INSTRUMENT RATING, THE PILOT EITHER BECAME DISORIENTED AND PUT UNDO STRESS ON THE AIRCRAFT OR FLEW INTO A THUNDERSTORM AND THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED AN IN-FLIGHT BREAK UP. (.4) THE FLIGHT DEPARTED AIRLAKE AIRPORT, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA EN ROUTE TO ROCK COUNTY AIRPORT, JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN. ACCORDING TO RADAR DATA, THE IMAGES SHOWED ACTIVITY IN THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT DID NOT POSSESS AN AIRPLANE INSTRUMENT RATING. AT 1928 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PERSON, WHO STATED THAT HIS AIRCRAFT WAS N9350N RECEIVED A VISUAL FLIGHT RULE WEATHER BRIEFING THE BRIEFER REPORTED THAT A NORTHEAST SOUTHWEST ORIENTATED COLD FRONT WAS MOVING THROUGH THE AREA, AHEAD OF WHICH WAS A HUGE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS AND RAIN SHOWERS WHICH STARTED AROUND ROCHESTER AND EXTENDED TO THE STEVEN'S POINT AREA. THE CALLER REPORTED, DURING HIS WEATHER B RIEFING, THAT HE WAS LOOKING AT THE RADAR OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY ON A SCREEN IN FRONT OF HIM. THERE WERE NO RADIO COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT AND FLIGHT WATCH OR MINNEAPOLIS CENTER. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND OVER A 1,350 FOOT BY 1,030 FOOT AREA. BOTH WINGS, VERTICAL STABILIZER AND LEFT HALF OF THE STABILATOR WERE NOT LOCATED WITH THE AIRCRAFT'S FUSELAGE AND EXHIBITED DEFORMATION AT THEIR SEPARATION POINTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.