What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
These facts are based on several eye witness reports from the ground, one of which was a pilot who had shot the same approach prior to the accident aircraft. These facts are also based on the eye witness statement of the survivor.
Aircraft departed tta airport VFR with destination of mqi. Weather deteriorated along the way and pilot had to file IFR to continue.
While holding at algtr intersection, accident aircraft waited for another aircraft to shoot the GPS rwy 5 approach into mqi. The first aircraft successfully shot the approach and landed safely at mqi. He then reported to the accident aircraft that the visibility was lower than reported, and was actually probably only 4SM. He also reported ceilings of two-three hundred feet, 'right at minimums.' The pilot of the first aircraft knows based on communication with ATC that this PIREP reached the accident aircraft. The accident aircraft decided to attempt the approach because the first one got in successfully to the airport.
The accident aircraft shot the GPS rwy 5 approach into mqi, and was in and out of the clouds while flying over the runway. The first aircraft, now observing from the ground, said the accident aircraft appeared too fast and high to land from the approach.
The accident aircraft overflew the runway, however, did not execute a proper IFR missed approach. The accident aircraft attempted a traffic pattern low and close to the runway, reporting downwind and base legs. The base leg was the last transmission reported.
The survivor stated that she remembered re-entering the clouds during the traffic pattern, and vividly remembers reading 410' on the altimeter. However, at some point during the pattern she reported that they were unexpectedly submerged in water. She escaped through a 'hole in the airplane' and was rescued in the water. The rescuers reported visibilities as low as 20 feet during the rescue, and were unable to find the pilot.
Divers later found the aircraft wreckage with the pilot's body inside.
As the FAA filed it
THESE FACTS ARE BASED ON SEVERAL EYE WITNESS REPORTS FROM THE GROUND, ONE OF WHICH WAS A PILOT WHO HAD SHOT THE SAME APPROACH PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT. THESE FACTS ARE ALSO BASED ON THE EYE WITNESS STATEMENT OF THE SURVIVOR.
AIRCRAFT DEPARTED TTA AIRPORT VFR WITH DESTINATION OF MQI. WEATHER DETERIORATED ALONG THE WAY AND PILOT HAD TO FILE IFR TO CONTINUE.
WHILE HOLDING AT ALGTR INTERSECTION, ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAITED FOR ANOTHER AIRCRAFT TO SHOOT THE GPS RWY 5 APPROACH INTO MQI. THE FIRST AIRCRAFT SUCCESSFULLY SHOT THE APPROACH AND LANDED SAFELY AT MQI. HE THEN REPORTED TO THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT THAT THE VISIBILITY WAS LOWER THAN REPORTED, AND WAS ACTUALLY PROBABLY ONLY 4SM. HE ALSO REPORTED CEILINGS OF TWO-THREE HUNDRED FEET, 'RIGHT AT MINIMUMS.' THE PILOT OF THE FIRST AIRCRAFT KNOWS BASED ON COMMUNICATION WITH ATC THAT THIS PIREP REACHED THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT. THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT DECIDED TO ATTEMPT THE APPROACH BECAUSE THE FIRST ONE GOT IN SUCCESSFULLY TO THE AIRPORT.
THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT SHOT THE GPS RWY 5 APPROACH INTO MQI, AND WAS IN AND OUT OF THE CLOUDS WHILE FLYING OVER THE RUNWAY. THE FIRST AIRCRAFT, NOW OBSERVING FROM THE GROUND, SAID THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT APPEARED TOO FAST AND HIGH TO LAND FROM THE APPROACH.
THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT OVERFLEW THE RUNWAY, HOWEVER, DID NOT EXECUTE A PROPER IFR MISSED APPROACH. THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTED A TRAFFIC PATTERN LOW AND CLOSE TO THE RUNWAY, REPORTING DOWNWIND AND BASE LEGS. THE BASE LEG WAS THE LAST TRANSMISSION REPORTED.
THE SURVIVOR STATED THAT SHE REMEMBERED RE-ENTERING THE CLOUDS DURING THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, AND VIVIDLY REMEMBERS READING 410' ON THE ALTIMETER. HOWEVER, AT SOME POINT DURING THE PATTERN SHE REPORTED THAT THEY WERE UNEXPECTEDLY SUBMERGED IN WATER. SHE ESCAPED THROUGH A 'HOLE IN THE AIRPLANE' AND WAS RESCUED IN THE WATER. THE RESCUERS REPORTED VISIBILITIES AS LOW AS 20 FEET DURING THE RESCUE, AND WERE UNABLE TO FIND THE PILOT.
DIVERS LATER FOUND THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WITH THE PILOT'S BODY INSIDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.