What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Airman was enroute from kpie to koun on an IFR flight plan. Aircraft had descended from FL200 to 12,000 feet. Significant convective weather was in the area along the route of flight. ATC advised the pilot of the weather and he stated he had nexrad weather onboard and elected to deviate from assigned route to fly through a hole in the line of storms as depicted on his onboard weather display. Current sigmets were issued twice while the aircraft was on the frequency and a regional jet in the vicinity elected to deviate around the weather rather then to penetrate it. Radar contact was lost shortly after the aircraft entered the "hole". Aircraft suffered an inflight breakup.
As the FAA filed it
AIRMAN WAS ENROUTE FROM KPIE TO KOUN ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. AIRCRAFT HAD DESCENDED FROM FL200 TO 12,000 FEET. SIGNIFICANT CONVECTIVE WEATHER WAS IN THE AREA ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT. ATC ADVISED THE PILOT OF THE WEATHER AND HE STATED HE HAD NEXRAD WEATHER ONBOARD AND ELECTED TO DEVIATE FROM ASSIGNED ROUTE TO FLY THROUGH A HOLE IN THE LINE OF STORMS AS DEPICTED ON HIS ONBOARD WEATHER DISPLAY. CURRENT SIGMETS WERE ISSUED TWICE WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON THE FREQUENCY AND A REGIONAL JET IN THE VICINITY ELECTED TO DEVIATE AROUND THE WEATHER RATHER THEN TO PENETRATE IT. RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST SHORTLY AFTER THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED THE "HOLE". AIRCRAFT SUFFERED AN INFLIGHT BREAKUP.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.