What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft departed kdxr with an intended destination of kjzi and indicated to dxr tower that they were departing to the southwest. The aircraft departed into marginal VFR conditions without an IFR flight plan filed and continued to climb into IMC conditions. All aircraft is his immediate vicinity were reporting IMC conditions with clouds tops from FL190 to FL230 across the NY tristate area. Airmets for icing and IFR conditions were in effect. The airman eventually declared that he had an unreliable attitude indicator and would require VFR conditions. The controller declared an emergency for the pilot. The airman asked for cloud tops and was told FL190 so he continued to climb to that altitude and eventually declared his was "VFR ontop". The airman was told to turn to the west for VFR but neglected to follow the controllers instructions. The airman eventually entered a descending figure 8 turn and was lost on radar at FL168 at approximately 250 KTS. Witnesses recall hearing a winding up and down sound of an engine for 1-2 minutes followed by a loud bang, not an explosion, then 1-2 seconds later see 2-3 pieces of aircraft fall into the water almost straight down. No further actions are intended due to aircraft being destroyed and all occupants are deceased.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED KDXR WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION OF KJZI AND INDICATED TO DXR TOWER THAT THEY WERE DEPARTING TO THE SOUTHWEST. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED INTO MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS WITHOUT AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN FILED AND CONTINUED TO CLIMB INTO IMC CONDITIONS. ALL AIRCRAFT IS HIS IMMEDIATE VICINITY WERE REPORTING IMC CONDITIONS WITH CLOUDS TOPS FROM FL190 TO FL230 ACROSS THE NY TRISTATE AREA. AIRMETS FOR ICING AND IFR CONDITIONS WERE IN EFFECT. THE AIRMAN EVENTUALLY DECLARED THAT HE HAD AN UNRELIABLE ATTITUDE INDICATOR AND WOULD REQUIRE VFR CONDITIONS. THE CONTROLLER DECLARED AN EMERGENCY FOR THE PILOT. THE AIRMAN ASKED FOR CLOUD TOPS AND WAS TOLD FL190 SO HE CONTINUED TO CLIMB TO THAT ALTITUDE AND EVENTUALLY DECLARED HIS WAS "VFR ONTOP". THE AIRMAN WAS TOLD TO TURN TO THE WEST FOR VFR BUT NEGLECTED TO FOLLOW THE CONTROLLERS INSTRUCTIONS. THE AIRMAN EVENTUALLY ENTERED A DESCENDING FIGURE 8 TURN AND WAS LOST ON RADAR AT FL168 AT APPROXIMATELY 250 KTS. WITNESSES RECALL HEARING A WINDING UP AND DOWN SOUND OF AN ENGINE FOR 1-2 MINUTES FOLLOWED BY A LOUD BANG, NOT AN EXPLOSION, THEN 1-2 SECONDS LATER SEE 2-3 PIECES OF AIRCRAFT FALL INTO THE WATER ALMOST STRAIGHT DOWN. NO FURTHER ACTIONS ARE INTENDED DUE TO AIRCRAFT BEING DESTROYED AND ALL OCCUPANTS ARE DECEASED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.