What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)On November 16, 1998, at 1233 EST, a Cessna 182-P aircraft crashed into lake marion, North Santee, SC. The aircraft impacted the water in a nose down, right wing down attitude and came to rest in a nose down attitude in eight feet of water. The aircraft departed hilton head airport (49J), hilton head island, SC, at 1200 hours. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. (From .4) according to an automated flight service station, the pilot of N6522M called and requested weather for a VFR flight from hilton head, south carolina, to charleston, west Virginia, at 0748 EST. The pilot was given a standard weather briefing with VFR not recommended. The pilot decided to call back and check later. At 1017, the pilot called back to check the weather conditions. He again was given a standard briefing and was told VFR not recommended. At 1134, the pilot of N6522M, called and wanted another update on the weather from hilton head, and charleston, west Virginia. The weather had not improved and he was advised that conditions were still below VFR minimums, and he would probably not be able to make the flight in any direction. The pilot departed hilton head, south carolina about 1150 and was handed off from beaufort approach control to the charleston approach control at 1210. According to ground witnesses, it was foggy and they could hear but not see the airplane and believed it was circling around the lake 'very slow'. A short time later a witness was moving his boat to a different fishing spot, when he ran across debris floating in the lake.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)ON NOVEMBER 16, 1998, AT 1233 EST, A CESSNA 182-P AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO LAKE MARION, NORTH SANTEE, SC. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE WATER IN A NOSE DOWN, RIGHT WING DOWN ATTITUDE AND CAME TO REST IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE IN EIGHT FEET OF WATER. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED HILTON HEAD AIRPORT (49J), HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC, AT 1200 HOURS. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. (FROM .4) ACCORDING TO AN AUTOMATED FLIGHT SERVICE STATION, THE PILOT OF N6522M CALLED AND REQUESTED WEATHER FOR A VFR FLIGHT FROM HILTON HEAD, SOUTH CAROLINA, TO CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA, AT 0748 EST. THE PILOT WAS GIVEN A STANDARD WEATHER BRIEFING WITH VFR NOT RECOMMENDED. THE PILOT DECIDED TO CALL BACK AND CHECK LATER. AT 1017, THE PILOT CALLED BACK TO CHECK THE WEATHER CONDITIONS. HE AGAIN WAS GIVEN A STANDARD BRIEFING AND WAS TOLD VFR NOT RECOMMENDED. AT 1134, THE PILOT OF N6522M, CALLED AND WANTED ANOTHER UPDATE ON THE WEATHER FROM HILTON HEAD, AND CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA. THE WEATHER HAD NOT IMPROVED AND HE WAS ADVISED THAT CONDITIONS WERE STILL BELOW VFR MINIMUMS, AND HE WOULD PROBABLY NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE THE FLIGHT IN ANY DIRECTION. THE PILOT DEPARTED HILTON HEAD, SOUTH CAROLINA ABOUT 1150 AND WAS HANDED OFF FROM BEAUFORT APPROACH CONTROL TO THE CHARLESTON APPROACH CONTROL AT 1210. ACCORDING TO GROUND WITNESSES, IT WAS FOGGY AND THEY COULD HEAR BUT NOT SEE THE AIRPLANE AND BELIEVED IT WAS CIRCLING AROUND THE LAKE 'VERY SLOW'. A SHORT TIME LATER A WITNESS WAS MOVING HIS BOAT TO A DIFFERENT FISHING SPOT, WHEN HE RAN ACROSS DEBRIS FLOATING IN THE LAKE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.