What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N5212W departed kidi at approximately 2130 UTC for a local pleasure flight. Kidi AWOS reported weather as 12 sm visibility and 400 overcast. The pilot stated that he did not obtain a weather briefing and did not check the AWOS broadcast, and judged the weather as adequate to allow a flight in the traffic pattern. He departed and encountered IMC before reaching pattern altitude (2500 MSL). The pilot stated that he attempted to regain VMC by turning and climbing without success. The balance of the flight was spent making unsuccessful attempts to land at kidi, proceeding lower with each pass. On the final pass, the pilot and passenger stated that they saw the runway but were unsure how much runway remained so the pilot elected to circle tightly one more time while attempting to maintain visual contact with the runway. The pilot turned the aircraft with a steep turn and lost altitude during the turn, encountering tall trees on a hilltop approximately 1200 feet northwest of and approximately 100 feet above the threshold of runway 10 at kidi, coming to rest inverted and partially disassembled on a heading of 055 dg. Magnetic. The pilot’s son died as a result of injuries sustained in the accident.
As the FAA filed it
N5212W DEPARTED KIDI AT APPROXIMATELY 2130 UTC FOR A LOCAL PLEASURE FLIGHT. KIDI AWOS REPORTED WEATHER AS 12 SM VISIBILITY AND 400 OVERCAST. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT OBTAIN A WEATHER BRIEFING AND DID NOT CHECK THE AWOS BROADCAST, AND JUDGED THE WEATHER AS ADEQUATE TO ALLOW A FLIGHT IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. HE DEPARTED AND ENCOUNTERED IMC BEFORE REACHING PATTERN ALTITUDE (2500 MSL). THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO REGAIN VMC BY TURNING AND CLIMBING WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE BALANCE OF THE FLIGHT WAS SPENT MAKING UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO LAND AT KIDI, PROCEEDING LOWER WITH EACH PASS. ON THE FINAL PASS, THE PILOT AND PASSENGER STATED THAT THEY SAW THE RUNWAY BUT WERE UNSURE HOW MUCH RUNWAY REMAINED SO THE PILOT ELECTED TO CIRCLE TIGHTLY ONE MORE TIME WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT TURNED THE AIRCRAFT WITH A STEEP TURN AND LOST ALTITUDE DURING THE TURN, ENCOUNTERING TALL TREES ON A HILLTOP APPROXIMATELY 1200 FEET NORTHWEST OF AND APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET ABOVE THE THRESHOLD OF RUNWAY 10 AT KIDI, COMING TO REST INVERTED AND PARTIALLY DISASSEMBLED ON A HEADING OF 055 DG. MAGNETIC. THE PILOT’S SON DIED AS A RESULT OF INJURIES SUSTAINED IN THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.