What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 12, 2008, privacy data omitted, the pilot of N617MZ, departed brainered, NM (kbrd) as a flight of three according to the statement from the pilot of the second aircraft. privacy data omitted Dropped out of the flight with no radio contact with other members of the flight. I/a/w the statement from privacy data omitted pilot of second aircraft, "it appeared to him that privacy data omitted was making an emergency landing on the lake and bounced and spun around. He spun in the opposite direction of his intended landing direction." privacy data omitted, Stated that "it appeared that privacy data omitted misjudged due to the snow and the height that he was at for the approach to landing and the whiteout condition." privacy data omitted, A witness on the ground standing outside his fish house stated, "that the engine was missing, sputtering and cutting out. The aircraft banked to the right heading east toward mille lacs lake and it banked again and turned and the engine sputtered again and suddenly it went down. The aircraft was almost flat when it hit and spun out. At the point of impact, stuff started flying and the aircraft spun around and came to a stop." He stated again that the engine was sputtering when, the aircraft went down. privacy data omitted Stated that, "he immediately went over and found privacy data omitted unconscious with a gash in his head and one in his nose."
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 12, 2008, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, THE PILOT OF N617MZ, DEPARTED BRAINERED, NM (KBRD) AS A FLIGHT OF THREE ACCORDING TO THE STATEMENT FROM THE PILOT OF THE SECOND AIRCRAFT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DROPPED OUT OF THE FLIGHT WITH NO RADIO CONTACT WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE FLIGHT. I/A/W THE STATEMENT FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PILOT OF SECOND AIRCRAFT, "IT APPEARED TO HIM THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS MAKING AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON THE LAKE AND BOUNCED AND SPUN AROUND. HE SPUN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF HIS INTENDED LANDING DIRECTION." ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, STATED THAT "IT APPEARED THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MISJUDGED DUE TO THE SNOW AND THE HEIGHT THAT HE WAS AT FOR THE APPROACH TO LANDING AND THE WHITEOUT CONDITION." ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A WITNESS ON THE GROUND STANDING OUTSIDE HIS FISH HOUSE STATED, "THAT THE ENGINE WAS MISSING, SPUTTERING AND CUTTING OUT. THE AIRCRAFT BANKED TO THE RIGHT HEADING EAST TOWARD MILLE LACS LAKE AND IT BANKED AGAIN AND TURNED AND THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AGAIN AND SUDDENLY IT WENT DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ALMOST FLAT WHEN IT HIT AND SPUN OUT. AT THE POINT OF IMPACT, STUFF STARTED FLYING AND THE AIRCRAFT SPUN AROUND AND CAME TO A STOP." HE STATED AGAIN THAT THE ENGINE WAS SPUTTERING WHEN, THE AIRCRAFT WENT DOWN. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT, "HE IMMEDIATELY WENT OVER AND FOUND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ UNCONSCIOUS WITH A GASH IN HIS HEAD AND ONE IN HIS NOSE."
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.