What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.23) Mr. Hamilton filed a flight plan with ktn fss and departed ktn for bellingham, WA. He failed to make any position reports and did not arrive at his destination. Search procedures were intitated. The aircraft was located on "annette island", approx. 10 sm se of Ketchikan. It was destroyed on impact and a post fire consumed the entire aircraft structure, minus the emponage. The pilot/occupant was found (deceased) in the wreckage. Weather at the time vs. the impact site indicates that this was a "cfit" accident, VMC into IMC conditions. (.4) prior to departing on a VFR cross-country flight along a planned coastal route, the private pilot obtained a weather briefing. The weather conditions along the route, which the pilot had flown several times, consisted of low ceilings and low visibility in rain and mist. Airmets were in effect for IFR conditions, mountain obscuration, turbulence, and low level wind shear. After departure, no distress communication was received from the pilot, and the airplane did not arrive at its destination. A search for the airplane in the U.S. And Canada was unsuccessful until four days after departure. The airplane was located about 900 feet MSL on an island, 9 miles south of the departure airport. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire.
As the FAA filed it
(.23) MR. HAMILTON FILED A FLIGHT PLAN WITH KTN FSS AND DEPARTED KTN FOR BELLINGHAM, WA. HE FAILED TO MAKE ANY POSITION REPORTS AND DID NOT ARRIVE AT HIS DESTINATION. SEARCH PROCEDURES WERE INTITATED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED ON "ANNETTE ISLAND", APPROX. 10 SM SE OF KETCHIKAN. IT WAS DESTROYED ON IMPACT AND A POST FIRE CONSUMED THE ENTIRE AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE, MINUS THE EMPONAGE. THE PILOT/OCCUPANT WAS FOUND (DECEASED) IN THE WRECKAGE. WEATHER AT THE TIME VS. THE IMPACT SITE INDICATES THAT THIS WAS A "CFIT" ACCIDENT, VMC INTO IMC CONDITIONS. (.4) PRIOR TO DEPARTING ON A VFR CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT ALONG A PLANNED COASTAL ROUTE, THE PRIVATE PILOT OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEFING. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS ALONG THE ROUTE, WHICH THE PILOT HAD FLOWN SEVERAL TIMES, CONSISTED OF LOW CEILINGS AND LOW VISIBILITY IN RAIN AND MIST. AIRMETS WERE IN EFFECT FOR IFR CONDITIONS, MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION, TURBULENCE, AND LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR. AFTER DEPARTURE, NO DISTRESS COMMUNICATION WAS RECEIVED FROM THE PILOT, AND THE AIRPLANE DID NOT ARRIVE AT ITS DESTINATION. A SEARCH FOR THE AIRPLANE IN THE U.S. AND CANADA WAS UNSUCCESSFUL UNTIL FOUR DAYS AFTER DEPARTURE. THE AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 900 FEET MSL ON AN ISLAND, 9 MILES SOUTH OF THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT FORCES AND A POSTCRASH FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.