What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The non-instrument rated pilot was conducting a flight from lake in the hills airport (3CK) to the madison, Indiana airport (ims). The flight was VFR on top and received flight following from ATC. The last radio contact occured approximately 15 NM north of ims with instructions to contact approach control (sdf) on 132.07 approximately 5 minutes prior to the reported time of the accident. The aircraft never checked in on that frequency. Weather was reported as 1100 overcast with ten miles visibility. The pilot would have been required to penetrate the cloud layer to reach the destination airport. The aircraft struck trees at a high rate of speed in a banked, nose low attitude on a southwesterly heading approximately 9 NM northwest of the intended destination airport.
As the FAA filed it
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A FLIGHT FROM LAKE IN THE HILLS AIRPORT (3CK) TO THE MADISON, INDIANA AIRPORT (IMS). THE FLIGHT WAS VFR ON TOP AND RECEIVED FLIGHT FOLLOWING FROM ATC. THE LAST RADIO CONTACT OCCURED APPROXIMATELY 15 NM NORTH OF IMS WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTACT APPROACH CONTROL (SDF) ON 132.07 APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE REPORTED TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT NEVER CHECKED IN ON THAT FREQUENCY. WEATHER WAS REPORTED AS 1100 OVERCAST WITH TEN MILES VISIBILITY. THE PILOT WOULD HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO PENETRATE THE CLOUD LAYER TO REACH THE DESTINATION AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK TREES AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED IN A BANKED, NOSE LOW ATTITUDE ON A SOUTHWESTERLY HEADING APPROXIMATELY 9 NM NORTHWEST OF THE INTENDED DESTINATION AIRPORT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.