What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot took off into marginal VFR conditions at night in an unairworthy aircraft - no current annual inspection. The pilot did not check the fuel quantity, did not have a current medical, no biennial flight review, and was not current at night. He also failed to check the weather. He had a passenger with him. He claimed his radio did not work but had not checked them prior to takeoff. He claimed he could not locate any airports due to the runway lights being out. Witnesses at those airports report the runway lights were working. He admitted he was in IFR conditions at times without a clearance. He violated both class d and c airspace at wright patterson afb and dayton international airport, and flew locally for 2 hours until he ran out of fuel. He landed in a small open area between 2 interstate highways and very near populated areas. The airplane was damaged beyond repair. The pilot suffered minor injuries and the passenger was not injured.
Reviewed by dws 03/20/2013
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT TOOK OFF INTO MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS AT NIGHT IN AN UNAIRWORTHY AIRCRAFT - NO CURRENT ANNUAL INSPECTION. THE PILOT DID NOT CHECK THE FUEL QUANTITY, DID NOT HAVE A CURRENT MEDICAL, NO BIENNIAL FLIGHT REVIEW, AND WAS NOT CURRENT AT NIGHT. HE ALSO FAILED TO CHECK THE WEATHER. HE HAD A PASSENGER WITH HIM. HE CLAIMED HIS RADIO DID NOT WORK BUT HAD NOT CHECKED THEM PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. HE CLAIMED HE COULD NOT LOCATE ANY AIRPORTS DUE TO THE RUNWAY LIGHTS BEING OUT. WITNESSES AT THOSE AIRPORTS REPORT THE RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE WORKING. HE ADMITTED HE WAS IN IFR CONDITIONS AT TIMES WITHOUT A CLEARANCE. HE VIOLATED BOTH CLASS D AND C AIRSPACE AT WRIGHT PATTERSON AFB AND DAYTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, AND FLEW LOCALLY FOR 2 HOURS UNTIL HE RAN OUT OF FUEL. HE LANDED IN A SMALL OPEN AREA BETWEEN 2 INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS AND VERY NEAR POPULATED AREAS. THE AIRPLANE WAS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR. THE PILOT SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES AND THE PASSENGER WAS NOT INJURED.
REVIEWED BY DWS 03/20/2013
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.