What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot departed maxon field on or about 0500 on 06/16/01. There was no flight plan filed, the weather was hazy, and the flight conditions were VMC at the time of the accident. There were numerous witnesses at the scene who reported that the pilot circled some charter fishing boats 2 or 3 times at low level; approximately 2 to 3 feet above the water. The flight path was east to west on the last pass. The pilot made a sharp 90-degree left turn and the left wing hit the water. The aircraft broke into two pieces and sank within a few seconds. The nearest boat was within 800 yards of the impact site. Witnesses stated that the engine sounded normal and they reported no other activity besides the low-level flying. The charter fishing boat at the scend contacted the oswego coast guard station at 0602 hrs. The coast guard started the search and rescue operations at that time. There was no body found at the time of impact. There was no report of the ELT activation. The coast guard conducting the search and rescue terminated operations at approximately 1130 hrs 06/16/01. At this time the oswego county police department assumed the responsibility for the recovery of any remains. On 06/18/01 the body and aircraft were located and the body was recovered at approximately 1630 hrs. Aircraft recovery will resume on or about 06/22/01.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT DEPARTED MAXON FIELD ON OR ABOUT 0500 ON 06/16/01. THERE WAS NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED, THE WEATHER WAS HAZY, AND THE FLIGHT CONDITIONS WERE VMC AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THERE WERE NUMEROUS WITNESSES AT THE SCENE WHO REPORTED THAT THE PILOT CIRCLED SOME CHARTER FISHING BOATS 2 OR 3 TIMES AT LOW LEVEL; APPROXIMATELY 2 TO 3 FEET ABOVE THE WATER. THE FLIGHT PATH WAS EAST TO WEST ON THE LAST PASS. THE PILOT MADE A SHARP 90-DEGREE LEFT TURN AND THE LEFT WING HIT THE WATER. THE AIRCRAFT BROKE INTO TWO PIECES AND SANK WITHIN A FEW SECONDS. THE NEAREST BOAT WAS WITHIN 800 YARDS OF THE IMPACT SITE. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL AND THEY REPORTED NO OTHER ACTIVITY BESIDES THE LOW-LEVEL FLYING. THE CHARTER FISHING BOAT AT THE SCEND CONTACTED THE OSWEGO COAST GUARD STATION AT 0602 HRS. THE COAST GUARD STARTED THE SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS AT THAT TIME. THERE WAS NO BODY FOUND AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THERE WAS NO REPORT OF THE ELT ACTIVATION. THE COAST GUARD CONDUCTING THE SEARCH AND RESCUE TERMINATED OPERATIONS AT APPROXIMATELY 1130 HRS 06/16/01. AT THIS TIME THE OSWEGO COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT ASSUMED THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE RECOVERY OF ANY REMAINS. ON 06/18/01 THE BODY AND AIRCRAFT WERE LOCATED AND THE BODY WAS RECOVERED AT APPROXIMATELY 1630 HRS. AIRCRAFT RECOVERY WILL RESUME ON OR ABOUT 06/22/01.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.