What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) N1363U, a 1976 Cessna 172 departed preston, Idaho enroute to orofino, Idaho on December 25, 2003. This aircraft was owned and piloted by 41-year-OLD Mr. Michael d. dahle. A 24-year-OLD passenger privacy data omitted accompanied Mr. Dahle. Prior to departure Mr. Dahle had received a complete weather briefing from the boise FAA flight service station (fss). The weather briefing included the information "VFR flight not recommended" several times. Mr. Dahle decided to disregard the fss recommendation and depart northbound to orofino, Idaho at night over mountainous terrain. Mr. Dahle did not file a flight plan, nor did he utilize radar flight following. FAA records revealed that Mr. Dahle had just been issued a temporary private pilot certificate five days prior to the accident on December 20, 2003. He had initially failed the private pilot practical examination and was retested on the same day. The designated pilot examiner who administered the evaluations stated Mr. Dahle had failed due to unsatisfactory radio navigation, and unsatisfactory soft field procedures. At 18:25 local time N1363U crashed near the Elk City, Idaho airport into pine trees with approximately one foot of snow on the ground. Witness reports revealed that N1363U had flown low over town and homes in an obvious attempt to land. Local snowmobilers had attempted to light up the Elk City airstrip with their headlights in an attempt to help the aircraft land at the unlighted/unplowed Elk City airport. Witnesses stated the airplane made a final low pass in an attempt to land at night then turned left and crashed into nearby pine trees. The pilot and passenger were transported by ambulance to syringa hospital in grangeville, Idaho. Currently Mr. Dahle and passenger privacy data omitted are being treated at the sacred heart hospital located in spokane, Washington. Both occupants are listed to be in critical condition. Nothing follows.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) N1363U, A 1976 CESSNA 172 DEPARTED PRESTON, IDAHO ENROUTE TO OROFINO, IDAHO ON DECEMBER 25, 2003. THIS AIRCRAFT WAS OWNED AND PILOTED BY 41-YEAR-OLD MR. MICHAEL D. DAHLE. A 24-YEAR-OLD PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMIT^ ACCOMPANIED MR. DAHLE. PRIOR TO DEPARTURE MR. DAHLE HAD RECEIVED A COMPLETE WEATHER BRIEFING FROM THE BOISE FAA FLIGHT SERVICE STATION (FSS). THE WEATHER BRIEFING INCLUDED THE INFORMATION "VFR FLIGHT NOT RECOMMENDED" SEVERAL TIMES. MR. DAHLE DECIDED TO DISREGARD THE FSS RECOMMENDATION AND DEPART NORTHBOUND TO OROFINO, IDAHO AT NIGHT OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. MR. DAHLE DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN, NOR DID HE UTILIZE RADAR FLIGHT FOLLOWING. FAA RECORDS REVEALED THAT MR. DAHLE HAD JUST BEEN ISSUED A TEMPORARY PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE FIVE DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT ON DECEMBER 20, 2003. HE HAD INITIALLY FAILED THE PRIVATE PILOT PRACTICAL EXAMINATION AND WAS RETESTED ON THE SAME DAY. THE DESIGNATED PILOT EXAMINER WHO ADMINISTERED THE EVALUATIONS STATED MR. DAHLE HAD FAILED DUE TO UNSATISFACTORY RADIO NAVIGATION, AND UNSATISFACTORY SOFT FIELD PROCEDURES. AT 18:25 LOCAL TIME N1363U CRASHED NEAR THE ELK CITY, IDAHO AIRPORT INTO PINE TREES WITH APPROXIMATELY ONE FOOT OF SNOW ON THE GROUND. WITNESS REPORTS REVEALED THAT N1363U HAD FLOWN LOW OVER TOWN AND HOMES IN AN OBVIOUS ATTEMPT TO LAND. LOCAL SNOWMOBILERS HAD ATTEMPTED TO LIGHT UP THE ELK CITY AIRSTRIP WITH THEIR HEADLIGHTS IN AN ATTEMPT TO HELP THE AIRCRAFT LAND AT THE UNLIGHTED/UNPLOWED ELK CITY AIRPORT. WITNESSES STATED THE AIRPLANE MADE A FINAL LOW PASS IN AN ATTEMPT TO LAND AT NIGHT THEN TURNED LEFT AND CRASHED INTO NEARBY PINE TREES. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO SYRINGA HOSPITAL IN GRANGEVILLE, IDAHO. CURRENTLY MR. DAHLE AND PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DATA^ ARE BEING TREATED AT THE SACRED HEART HOSPITAL LOCATED IN SPOKANE, WASHINGTON. BOTH OCCUPANTS ARE LISTED TO BE IN CRITICAL CONDITION. NOTHING FOLLOWS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.