What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot and his wife departed on a local flight from princeton municipal airport (kpnm), Minnesota. Pilot was flying up the Mississippi river at a low altitude near Ramsey, Minnesota. Pilot turned a bend in the river and impacted four power line wires at approximately 62 feet above the river and below tree top level. The aircraft stopped immediately and dropped straight into the river and sunk to the bottom. The passenger was ejected from the aircraft and the pilot was recovered with the wreckage. The sun was at approximately 9 degrees above the horizon and in the direction of the aircraft flight path.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT AND HIS WIFE DEPARTED ON A LOCAL FLIGHT FROM PRINCETON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KPNM), MINNESOTA. PILOT WAS FLYING UP THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT A LOW ALTITUDE NEAR RAMSEY, MINNESOTA. PILOT TURNED A BEND IN THE RIVER AND IMPACTED FOUR POWER LINE WIRES AT APPROXIMATELY 62 FEET ABOVE THE RIVER AND BELOW TREE TOP LEVEL. THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED IMMEDIATELY AND DROPPED STRAIGHT INTO THE RIVER AND SUNK TO THE BOTTOM. THE PASSENGER WAS EJECTED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND THE PILOT WAS RECOVERED WITH THE WRECKAGE. THE SUN WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 9 DEGREES ABOVE THE HORIZON AND IN THE DIRECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT FLIGHT PATH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.