What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On June 7, 2003 at 2147 CDT, a Cessna 172P, N63319, registered to wausau flying service, wausau, Wisconsin impacted terrain at the Sheboygan county airport, Sheboygan, Wisconsin while departing Sheboygan for a night flight back to wausau. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The conditions were recorded by the Sheboygan asoa as 1/4 mile visibility due to fog with 100-foot vertical visibility. A flight plan was not filed for the 14 CFR 91 flight. The 150-hour private pilot with 22 hours of nith time was not instrument rated. The pilot and passenger received fatal injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. There was no fire. Summary: the north side of the airport was totally fogged in at the time of the accident. The ASOS weather data was not being broadcasting over the VOR. The ASOS weather data may not have been available to the pilot of N63319 using his cell phone. Based on a review of the radar satori and flight checks it has been determined the aircraft did not get above 700 feet AGL. The pilot of a Piper cherokee, N9614W, a privacy data omitted stated he was enroute from sturgeon bay to brookfield, Wisconsin at the time of the accident when he heard a transmission from an unknown source "non simulated engine out, trying to make it to Sheboygan" and then a few minutes later "I'm going down". Interviews with the pilot and a re-creation of his flight based on his times and itinerary have determined that privacy data omitted is not a credible witness. Examination of the wreckage has not disclosed any mechanical malfunctions with the aircraft. It is suspected the pilot took off from that portion of the airport, which had better weather conditions than that recorded at the ASOS site, became airborne, flew into the fog, attempted to maintain visual contact and then lost control.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JUNE 7, 2003 AT 2147 CDT, A CESSNA 172P, N63319, REGISTERED TO WAUSAU FLYING SERVICE, WAUSAU, WISCONSIN IMPACTED TERRAIN AT THE SHEBOYGAN COUNTY AIRPORT, SHEBOYGAN, WISCONSIN WHILE DEPARTING SHEBOYGAN FOR A NIGHT FLIGHT BACK TO WAUSAU. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. THE CONDITIONS WERE RECORDED BY THE SHEBOYGAN ASOA AS 1/4 MILE VISIBILITY DUE TO FOG WITH 100-FOOT VERTICAL VISIBILITY. A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CFR 91 FLIGHT. THE 150-HOUR PRIVATE PILOT WITH 22 HOURS OF NITH TIME WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. THERE WAS NO FIRE. SUMMARY: THE NORTH SIDE OF THE AIRPORT WAS TOTALLY FOGGED IN AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE ASOS WEATHER DATA WAS NOT BEING BROADCASTING OVER THE VOR. THE ASOS WEATHER DATA MAY NOT HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE TO THE PILOT OF N63319 USING HIS CELL PHONE. BASED ON A REVIEW OF THE RADAR SATORI AND FLIGHT CHECKS IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT GET ABOVE 700 FEET AGL. THE PILOT OF A PIPER CHEROKEE, N9614W, A ^PRIVACY DATA OMITT^ STATED HE WAS ENROUTE FROM STURGEON BAY TO BROOKFIELD, WISCONSIN AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WHEN HE HEARD A TRANSMISSION FROM AN UNKNOWN SOURCE "NON SIMULATED ENGINE OUT, TRYING TO MAKE IT TO SHEBOYGAN" AND THEN A FEW MINUTES LATER "I'M GOING DOWN". INTERVIEWS WITH THE PILOT AND A RE-CREATION OF HIS FLIGHT BASED ON HIS TIMES AND ITINERARY HAVE DETERMINED THAT ^PRIVACY D^ IS NOT A CREDIBLE WITNESS. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE HAS NOT DISCLOSED ANY MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE AIRCRAFT. IT IS SUSPECTED THE PILOT TOOK OFF FROM THAT PORTION OF THE AIRPORT, WHICH HAD BETTER WEATHER CONDITIONS THAN THAT RECORDED AT THE ASOS SITE, BECAME AIRBORNE, FLEW INTO THE FOG, ATTEMPTED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT AND THEN LOST CONTROL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.