What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot privacy data omitted departed ft. Lauderdale, FL, enroute to the Bahamas with four friends for an intended fishing trip. The pilot privacy data omitted just recently received his private pilot certificate, was a low time pilot, and even more recently just received his multiengine certification. All appeared normal until shortly after takeoff when the pilot privacy data omitted flew into an approximate level 4 thunderstorm. The pilot privacy data omitted was not instrument rated. The track sheets indicate that the last few minutes of the pilot's privacy data omitted flight became severely erratic, apparently in an attempt to maintain altitude. It is suspected that the pilot privacy data omitted experienced vertigo and crashed into the atlantic ocean destroying the aircraft and killing all individuals on board. Contributing factors to this accident were the pilot privacy data omitted not having an instrument rating and not circumnavigating a thunderstorm, the pilot's privacy data omitted minimal flight time and experience in a multiengine aircraft, and the air traffic controller not suggesting alternate flight paths around a thunderstorm.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED FT. LAUDERDALE, FL, ENROUTE TO THE BAHAMAS WITH FOUR FRIENDS FOR AN INTENDED FISHING TRIP. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ JUST RECENTLY RECEIVED HIS PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE, WAS A LOW TIME PILOT, AND EVEN MORE RECENTLY JUST RECEIVED HIS MULTIENGINE CERTIFICATION. ALL APPEARED NORMAL UNTIL SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF WHEN THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FLEW INTO AN APPROXIMATE LEVEL 4 THUNDERSTORM. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED. THE TRACK SHEETS INDICATE THAT THE LAST FEW MINUTES OF THE PILOT'S ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FLIGHT BECAME SEVERELY ERRATIC, APPARENTLY IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. IT IS SUSPECTED THAT THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ EXPERIENCED VERTIGO AND CRASHED INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN DESTROYING THE AIRCRAFT AND KILLING ALL INDIVIDUALS ON BOARD. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ NOT HAVING AN INSTRUMENT RATING AND NOT CIRCUMNAVIGATING A THUNDERSTORM, THE PILOT'S ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MINIMAL FLIGHT TIME AND EXPERIENCE IN A MULTIENGINE AIRCRAFT, AND THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER NOT SUGGESTING ALTERNATE FLIGHT PATHS AROUND A THUNDERSTORM.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.