What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
2020-08-20, N997S, Lancair Super Es diverted for weather to Ely, MN kelo while attempting to get to grand marais, MN kckc. This was approximately noon, 1200CST. Kckc was socked in all day for low ceilings and fog along the lake superior coast.
The PIC got a vehicle from the kelo FBO and spent the day visiting in Ely. At 1700L he returned to the kelo FBO and asked if he could keep the vehicle. The FBO approved as they were closing and had no need for it. The PIC departed the airport.
The PIC was at a friends house, the friend had stepped out and returned sometime after 2200L to find that the PIC was not there. The metars at desired destination, kckc, showed a lift of the fog and low ceilings just after 2200L (2215L 7SM clear)(2235L 10SM clear). The PIC was airborne from kelo for his 15 min flight to kckc at 2301L. Kelo current METAR was sct 032 bkn 041 TEMP17 DP16. However, within 30 minutes it was BKN007, so weather was deteriorating. There was a valid AIRMET in the area for coastal weather moving inland with IFR, which is in the direction of kelo. It was a dark, no moon night.
N997S took off and climbed heading north 2301 local time. At 1500 ft AGL the aircraft started maneuvering laterally, yet generally moving north. Airspeed then became decreasing, at the final adsb report the aircraft was 1700 ft AGL 57 KTS.
Witness had been sitting on the dock watching the stars for over an hour. At the time they initially heard the aircraft they could no longer see stars due to a cloud layer overhead. The aircraft came out of the clouds, with a steep descent, it's lights and silohouette were visible southeast from the dock. The aircraft then did a steep climb and disappeared into the clouds above. Seconds later the noise was louder and the aircraft appeared to be diving at them on the dock, they thought it was going to hit the water in front of them; it was very loud and pulled up in another steep climb, climbing away from them and back into the clouds. The aircraft came down a final time just south of them, this time it did not pull up, it made a loud noise on impact, and everything instantly became silent. From the first time they heard and saw, the aircraft to the crash was less than 3 minutes. They called 911 at 2306 local time, getting their phones out immediately after witnessing the crash.
The flight path was substantiated with security video.
The aircraft was found in this location, approximately 5 miles north of kelo airport, in white iron lake.
As the FAA filed it
2020-08-20, N997S, LANCAIR SUPER ES DIVERTED FOR WEATHER TO ELY, MN KELO WHILE ATTEMPTING TO GET TO GRAND MARAIS, MN KCKC. THIS WAS APPROXIMATELY NOON, 1200CST. KCKC WAS SOCKED IN ALL DAY FOR LOW CEILINGS AND FOG ALONG THE LAKE SUPERIOR COAST.
THE PIC GOT A VEHICLE FROM THE KELO FBO AND SPENT THE DAY VISITING IN ELY. AT 1700L HE RETURNED TO THE KELO FBO AND ASKED IF HE COULD KEEP THE VEHICLE. THE FBO APPROVED AS THEY WERE CLOSING AND HAD NO NEED FOR IT. THE PIC DEPARTED THE AIRPORT.
THE PIC WAS AT A FRIENDS HOUSE, THE FRIEND HAD STEPPED OUT AND RETURNED SOMETIME AFTER 2200L TO FIND THAT THE PIC WAS NOT THERE. THE METARS AT DESIRED DESTINATION, KCKC, SHOWED A LIFT OF THE FOG AND LOW CEILINGS JUST AFTER 2200L (2215L 7SM CLEAR)(2235L 10SM CLEAR). THE PIC WAS AIRBORNE FROM KELO FOR HIS 15 MIN FLIGHT TO KCKC AT 2301L. KELO CURRENT METAR WAS SCT 032 BKN 041 TEMP17 DP16. HOWEVER, WITHIN 30 MINUTES IT WAS BKN007, SO WEATHER WAS DETERIORATING. THERE WAS A VALID AIRMET IN THE AREA FOR COASTAL WEATHER MOVING INLAND WITH IFR, WHICH IS IN THE DIRECTION OF KELO. IT WAS A DARK, NO MOON NIGHT.
N997S TOOK OFF AND CLIMBED HEADING NORTH 2301 LOCAL TIME. AT 1500 FT AGL THE AIRCRAFT STARTED MANEUVERING LATERALLY, YET GENERALLY MOVING NORTH. AIRSPEED THEN BECAME DECREASING, AT THE FINAL ADSB REPORT THE AIRCRAFT WAS 1700 FT AGL 57 KTS.
WITNESS HAD BEEN SITTING ON THE DOCK WATCHING THE STARS FOR OVER AN HOUR. AT THE TIME THEY INITIALLY HEARD THE AIRCRAFT THEY COULD NO LONGER SEE STARS DUE TO A CLOUD LAYER OVERHEAD. THE AIRCRAFT CAME OUT OF THE CLOUDS, WITH A STEEP DESCENT, IT'S LIGHTS AND SILOHOUETTE WERE VISIBLE SOUTHEAST FROM THE DOCK. THE AIRCRAFT THEN DID A STEEP CLIMB AND DISAPPEARED INTO THE CLOUDS ABOVE. SECONDS LATER THE NOISE WAS LOUDER AND THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE DIVING AT THEM ON THE DOCK, THEY THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO HIT THE WATER IN FRONT OF THEM; IT WAS VERY LOUD AND PULLED UP IN ANOTHER STEEP CLIMB, CLIMBING AWAY FROM THEM AND BACK INTO THE CLOUDS. THE AIRCRAFT CAME DOWN A FINAL TIME JUST SOUTH OF THEM, THIS TIME IT DID NOT PULL UP, IT MADE A LOUD NOISE ON IMPACT, AND EVERYTHING INSTANTLY BECAME SILENT. FROM THE FIRST TIME THEY HEARD AND SAW, THE AIRCRAFT TO THE CRASH WAS LESS THAN 3 MINUTES. THEY CALLED 911 AT 2306 LOCAL TIME, GETTING THEIR PHONES OUT IMMEDIATELY AFTER WITNESSING THE CRASH.
THE FLIGHT PATH WAS SUBSTANTIATED WITH SECURITY VIDEO.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND IN THIS LOCATION, APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES NORTH OF KELO AIRPORT, IN WHITE IRON LAKE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.