What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot became unresponsive to ATC instructions while on a flight from traverse city (ktvs) to grand rapids (kgrr). The aircraft was observed overflying grand rapids and continued on a southerly course at flight level 250. Military interceptors made visual contact and reported that the pilot was unconscious and slumped forward. The aircraft was kept under military surveillance until fuel exhaustion which occured near muncie, Indiana (kmie). The aircraft made several wide right turns while losing altitude and eventually impacted into a cornfield approximately 3 miles southeast of Albany, Indiana. The aircraft contacted trees at a height of about 20 feet while in a steep right bank shearing off both wings at the wing roots. Ground contact was made 25 to 30 feet past the tree line. The fuselage continued to slide for an additional 160 feet shedding the empennage and coming to rest on its right side. A post crash fire consumed most of the cabin structure.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT BECAME UNRESPONSIVE TO ATC INSTRUCTIONS WHILE ON A FLIGHT FROM TRAVERSE CITY (KTVS) TO GRAND RAPIDS (KGRR). THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED OVERFLYING GRAND RAPIDS AND CONTINUED ON A SOUTHERLY COURSE AT FLIGHT LEVEL 250. MILITARY INTERCEPTORS MADE VISUAL CONTACT AND REPORTED THAT THE PILOT WAS UNCONSCIOUS AND SLUMPED FORWARD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS KEPT UNDER MILITARY SURVEILLANCE UNTIL FUEL EXHAUSTION WHICH OCCURED NEAR MUNCIE, INDIANA (KMIE). THE AIRCRAFT MADE SEVERAL WIDE RIGHT TURNS WHILE LOSING ALTITUDE AND EVENTUALLY IMPACTED INTO A CORNFIELD APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ALBANY, INDIANA. THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED TREES AT A HEIGHT OF ABOUT 20 FEET WHILE IN A STEEP RIGHT BANK SHEARING OFF BOTH WINGS AT THE WING ROOTS. GROUND CONTACT WAS MADE 25 TO 30 FEET PAST THE TREE LINE. THE FUSELAGE CONTINUED TO SLIDE FOR AN ADDITIONAL 160 FEET SHEDDING THE EMPENNAGE AND COMING TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. A POST CRASH FIRE CONSUMED MOST OF THE CABIN STRUCTURE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.