What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Weather reports, both infrared and water vapor satellite images and local residents indicate that there were low clouds in the vicinity of this accident scene. The surface temperatures in the area were below freezing and there was an AIRMET for the area calling for occasional mixed icing in clouds and precipitation below 7,000 feet MSL. The aircraft crashed into the ground in a vertical descent. The accident occurred in a remote rural area before sunup. Mr. Johnson was required to possess glasses for near and intermediate vision. He normally carried those glasses in his pocket. No flashflight was found in the wreckage. Mr. Johnson was known to wear a shoulder harness when flying. Although instrument rated, Mr. Johnson had not stayed current in many years. Mr. Johnson received an abbreviated briefing that told him of VFR conditions in the destination area. No records were found that Mr. Johnson received a computer briefing and was therefore probably not aware of IFR conditions at reporting stations to the south and west of his route or of the AIRMET for icing. With this information, it appears likely that inadvertent IFR conditions were encountered with possible unreliable airspeed indications and loss of control.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) WEATHER REPORTS, BOTH INFRARED AND WATER VAPOR SATELLITE IMAGES AND LOCAL RESIDENTS INDICATE THAT THERE WERE LOW CLOUDS IN THE VICINITY OF THIS ACCIDENT SCENE. THE SURFACE TEMPERATURES IN THE AREA WERE BELOW FREEZING AND THERE WAS AN AIRMET FOR THE AREA CALLING FOR OCCASIONAL MIXED ICING IN CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION BELOW 7,000 FEET MSL. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO THE GROUND IN A VERTICAL DESCENT. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN A REMOTE RURAL AREA BEFORE SUNUP. MR. JOHNSON WAS REQUIRED TO POSSESS GLASSES FOR NEAR AND INTERMEDIATE VISION. HE NORMALLY CARRIED THOSE GLASSES IN HIS POCKET. NO FLASHFLIGHT WAS FOUND IN THE WRECKAGE. MR. JOHNSON WAS KNOWN TO WEAR A SHOULDER HARNESS WHEN FLYING. ALTHOUGH INSTRUMENT RATED, MR. JOHNSON HAD NOT STAYED CURRENT IN MANY YEARS. MR. JOHNSON RECEIVED AN ABBREVIATED BRIEFING THAT TOLD HIM OF VFR CONDITIONS IN THE DESTINATION AREA. NO RECORDS WERE FOUND THAT MR. JOHNSON RECEIVED A COMPUTER BRIEFING AND WAS THEREFORE PROBABLY NOT AWARE OF IFR CONDITIONS AT REPORTING STATIONS TO THE SOUTH AND WEST OF HIS ROUTE OR OF THE AIRMET FOR ICING. WITH THIS INFORMATION, IT APPEARS LIKELY THAT INADVERTENT IFR CONDITIONS WERE ENCOUNTERED WITH POSSIBLE UNRELIABLE AIRSPEED INDICATIONS AND LOSS OF 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.