What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) At about 8:30 pm April 5th the pilot departed a private airfield located at the lucin VOR (lcu) in Utah for a return flight to caldwell (eul), ID. With no lighting on the panel mount GPS the pilot departed into the darkening night sky. Shortly after takeoff he discovered his flashlight did not work. The pilot then decided to turn north to intersect I-84 then follow it west to caldwell. He saw what he thought was I-84 and turned west. When the highway began to angle south the pilot decided to continue in a northerly direction. When he realized that he had been following the wrong highway he again headed directly north. He then realized he could use his cellphone to shed light on the GPS. Upon using the GPS to figure out exactly where he was and realizing he would not have enough fuel to get to boise, ID or wells, NV he continued on to boise hoping to find a place to land. He ran out of fuel about 4000 ft AGL and the only point of reference were 3 farm lights about ½ mile apart. He kept his speed up so he would not stall and was able to see and avoid a set of powerlines and impacted the ground directly below the powerlines. The aircraft slid about 100 ft and struck a shed in the backyard of the Riddle, ID store.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AT ABOUT 8:30 PM APRIL 5TH THE PILOT DEPARTED A PRIVATE AIRFIELD LOCATED AT THE LUCIN VOR (LCU) IN UTAH FOR A RETURN FLIGHT TO CALDWELL (EUL), ID. WITH NO LIGHTING ON THE PANEL MOUNT GPS THE PILOT DEPARTED INTO THE DARKENING NIGHT SKY. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF HE DISCOVERED HIS FLASHLIGHT DID NOT WORK. THE PILOT THEN DECIDED TO TURN NORTH TO INTERSECT I-84 THEN FOLLOW IT WEST TO CALDWELL. HE SAW WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS I-84 AND TURNED WEST. WHEN THE HIGHWAY BEGAN TO ANGLE SOUTH THE PILOT DECIDED TO CONTINUE IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION. WHEN HE REALIZED THAT HE HAD BEEN FOLLOWING THE WRONG HIGHWAY HE AGAIN HEADED DIRECTLY NORTH. HE THEN REALIZED HE COULD USE HIS CELLPHONE TO SHED LIGHT ON THE GPS. UPON USING THE GPS TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHERE HE WAS AND REALIZING HE WOULD NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO GET TO BOISE, ID OR WELLS, NV HE CONTINUED ON TO BOISE HOPING TO FIND A PLACE TO LAND. HE RAN OUT OF FUEL ABOUT 4000 FT AGL AND THE ONLY POINT OF REFERENCE WERE 3 FARM LIGHTS ABOUT ½ MILE APART. HE KEPT HIS SPEED UP SO HE WOULD NOT STALL AND WAS ABLE TO SEE AND AVOID A SET OF POWERLINES AND IMPACTED THE GROUND DIRECTLY BELOW THE POWERLINES. THE AIRCRAFT SLID ABOUT 100 FT AND STRUCK A SHED IN THE BACKYARD OF THE RIDDLE, ID STORE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.