20111123027089A

ON 11/23/2011, AT APPROXIMATELY 2130 LOCAL TIME (Z0330 11/24/11), PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED MANKATO, MN (KMRT) FOR MERRILL, WI (RRL) IN N203MK. WEATHER ALONG THE INTENDED FLIGHT PATH WAS INSTRUMENT METROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC). FOR RRL DESTINATION: WINDS 240@6, 3M, 500, OVERCAST/MIST AT 1955 LOCAL TIME. THE PILOT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED AT APPROXIMATELY 2248 LOCAL TIME (Z0448 11/24/11), 4.9-MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF ATHENS, WI. AND 21-MILES SHORT OF THE INTENDED DESTINATION OF MERRILL, WI. THE PILOT WAS THE SOLE PERSON ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT.THE PILOT WAS RATED IN AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND, AIRPLANE MULTENGINE LAND, AND AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE SEA.ACCORDING TO WITNESS STATEMENT BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A LINE SERVICE TECH FOR NORTH STAR AVIATION AT THE MANKATO REGIONAL AIRPORT, AT APPROXIMATELY 1900 LOCAL TIME, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DID A WEATHER BRIEFING FOR THE INTENDED FLIGHT TO RRL. WEATHER WAS AT THAT TIME IMC IN THE RRL AREA AND MUCH OF THE PLANNED FLIGHT PATH. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ RECOMMENDED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ NOT TO MAKE THIS FLIGHT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATES THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEN STATED HE WOULD "SCUD RUN IT" IF HE HAD TO. ACCORDING TO WITNESS STATEMENT BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, CHIEF FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AT NORTH STAR AVIATION (KMRT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AT APPROXIMATELY 2039 LOCAL AND ASKED ABOUT THE WEATHER FOR HIS FLIGHT TO WI. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ADVISED THE WEATHER WAS GOOD. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ RECONFIRMED THE WEATHER WAS GOOD AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID YES, NO PROBLEM. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEN SAID OKAY AND HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND. N203MK WAS OBSERVED DEPARTING KMRT AT APPROXIMATELY 2130. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT DID NOT TALK TO ATC WHILE INFLIGHT.MN ARTCC PROVIDED DATA FROM VARIOUS RADAR STATIONS (QJE, EGV, QHL) WHICH HAD HITS ON A TARGET WITH A FLIGHT PATH FROM KMRT TO RRL AT THE TIME N203MK WAS MAKING ITS FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRANSMITTING 1200 ON THE TRANSPONDER AND IS ASSUMED TO BE N203MK. AIRCRAFT WAS CRUSING AT APPROXIMATELY 153 K (176MPH) MAINTAINING A CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 7300' TO 7500' UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES FROM RRL AND STARTED A DESENT AT 2235 LOCAL TIME FROM 7500'. AT APPROXIMATELY 2238 LOCAL TIME AND 3400' THE AIRCRAFT GOES OFF THE QHZ (HORICON) RADAR AND IS AT THAT TIME, APPROXIMATELY 17.8 MILES FROM CRASH SITE. SPEED OF AIRCRAFT CALCULATED FROM RADAR HITS AND DISTANCE TRAVELED. CALCULATED SPEED FROM RADAR AND DISTANCE FROM WHEN AIRCRAFT WENT OFF RADAR TO CRASH SITE MATCH, AND SETS THE TIME OF THE CRASH AT APPROXIMATELY 2248 LOCAL TIME (Z0448 24NOV11).CRASH SITE WAS LOCATED BY MARATHON SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AT APPROXIMATELY 2000 25NOV11. CRASH SITE IS APPROXIMATELY 21-MILES SOUTHWEST OF DESTINATION AIRPORT RRL.TESTING OF FLIGHT CONTROLS FOUND CONTINUITY MOVEMENT WITHIN THE COCKPIT CONTROLS AND PUSHRODS, BELLCRANKS AND CABLES OPERATED PROPERLY IN AND ROUND THE COCKPIT AREA. NATURALLY THE LINKAGES IN THE WINGS, VERTICAL, AND TAIL AREAS COULD NOT BE TESTED AND ONLY VISUALLY INSPECTED. NO ABNORMAL OPERATION OR FINDINGS OF THE DETACHED COMPONENTS SUGGESTED A MALFUNCTION OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS INSPECTED. NO ABNORMALITIES WERE FOUND WITH INSTRUMENTS, ENGINE, OR ENGINE COMPONENTS.AIRCRAFT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN IN AN AIRWORTHY CONDITION AT TIME OF ACCIDENT.