What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft departed north myrtle beach SC for nas oceana, VA. The pilot (thomas righetti) contacted Washington center with a request for flight following. The pilot was given a "squawk" by Washington center. During the read-back of the squawk (the pilot was repeating the third number) radio contact was lost and never regained. A search was initiated and the wreckage of the aircraft was located several hours later (by a USCG helicopter) in a wooded area approximately six miles south of Bolton, NC. The pilots' remains were found in the cockpit of the aircraft, badly burned and unrecognizable. The aircraft canopy and windshield frame was intact indicating no attempt was made by the pilot to egress the aircraft. (.19) on September 18, 2002, at 1300 eastern daylight time, a mikoyan gurevich MIG-15, fighter airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, collided with the ground while climbing near whiteville, north carolina. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91 with no flight plan filed. The nearest weather reporting facility reported visual weather conditions, however witnesses in the vicinity of the accident r eported thunderstorm activity at the approximate time of the accident. The airplane was destroyed and the commercial pilot was fatally injured. The flight departed north myrtle beach, south carolina, at 1245. After departing north myrtle beach, the pilot established radio contact with Washington center for flight-following to Virginia beach, Virginia. The flight was assigned a cruise altitude of 17,500 feet. The remaining circumstances of the flight are not known. When the flight failed to arrive at the destination airport, a search was initiated. The fire damaged downed airplane was located several hours later in a heavily wooded area near whiteville.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED NORTH MYRTLE BEACH SC FOR NAS OCEANA, VA. THE PILOT (THOMAS RIGHETTI) CONTACTED WASHINGTON CENTER WITH A REQUEST FOR FLIGHT FOLLOWING. THE PILOT WAS GIVEN A "SQUAWK" BY WASHINGTON CENTER. DURING THE READ-BACK OF THE SQUAWK (THE PILOT WAS REPEATING THE THIRD NUMBER) RADIO CONTACT WAS LOST AND NEVER REGAINED. A SEARCH WAS INITIATED AND THE WRECKAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED SEVERAL HOURS LATER (BY A USCG HELICOPTER) IN A WOODED AREA APPROXIMATELY SIX MILES SOUTH OF BOLTON, NC. THE PILOTS' REMAINS WERE FOUND IN THE COCKPIT OF THE AIRCRAFT, BADLY BURNED AND UNRECOGNIZABLE. THE AIRCRAFT CANOPY AND WINDSHIELD FRAME WAS INTACT INDICATING NO ATTEMPT WAS MADE BY THE PILOT TO EGRESS THE AIRCRAFT. (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2002, AT 1300 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A MIKOYAN GUREVICH MIG-15, FIGHTER AIRPLANE, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND WHILE CLIMBING NEAR WHITEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WITH NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED. THE NEAREST WEATHER REPORTING FACILITY REPORTED VISUAL WEATHER CONDITIONS, HOWEVER WITNESSES IN THE VICINITY OF THE ACCIDENT R EPORTED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AT THE APPROXIMATE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED AND THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA, AT 1245. AFTER DEPARTING NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, THE PILOT ESTABLISHED RADIO CONTACT WITH WASHINGTON CENTER FOR FLIGHT-FOLLOWING TO VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA. THE FLIGHT WAS ASSIGNED A CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 17,500 FEET. THE REMAINING CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE FLIGHT ARE NOT KNOWN. WHEN THE FLIGHT FAILED TO ARRIVE AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, A SEARCH WAS INITIATED. THE FIRE DAMAGED DOWNED AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED SEVERAL HOURS LATER IN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA NEAR WHITEVILLE.