What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was having trouble maintaining altitude, landed in saint cloud, MN (STC) for an evaluation from emt's, no apparent issues found, pilot resumed flight, destination was Bemidji, MN approximately 30 miles southeast of Bemidji pilot lost control and crashed into leech lake.
Pilot was moving to Bemidji, MN from natchez, MS, ATC requested the pilot stop in saint cloud, MN (STC) so that the emt's could access his condition, the pilot was having trouble maintaining altitude and verbal communication was at times incoherent. The emt's did not find anything that would warrant stopping the pilot from continuing his flight. The pilot departed from STC without purchasing any fuel, as the pilot was getting close to Bemidji, MN there was a thunder storm directly over Bemidji. Based on flight information it appears that the pilot attempted to fly into the leading edge of the storm and crashed. Post crash aircraft inspection found no anomalies that could be considered a causal factor to the crash. Based on flight time versus available fuel onboard and lack of damage to the propeller it is possible that the aircraft crashed due to fuel starvation.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS HAVING TROUBLE MAINTAINING ALTITUDE, LANDED IN SAINT CLOUD, MN (STC) FOR AN EVALUATION FROM EMT'S, NO APPARENT ISSUES FOUND, PILOT RESUMED FLIGHT, DESTINATION WAS BEMIDJI, MN APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BEMIDJI PILOT LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO LEECH LAKE.
PILOT WAS MOVING TO BEMIDJI, MN FROM NATCHEZ, MS, ATC REQUESTED THE PILOT STOP IN SAINT CLOUD, MN (STC) SO THAT THE EMT'S COULD ACCESS HIS CONDITION, THE PILOT WAS HAVING TROUBLE MAINTAINING ALTITUDE AND VERBAL COMMUNICATION WAS AT TIMES INCOHERENT. THE EMT'S DID NOT FIND ANYTHING THAT WOULD WARRANT STOPPING THE PILOT FROM CONTINUING HIS FLIGHT. THE PILOT DEPARTED FROM STC WITHOUT PURCHASING ANY FUEL, AS THE PILOT WAS GETTING CLOSE TO BEMIDJI, MN THERE WAS A THUNDER STORM DIRECTLY OVER BEMIDJI. BASED ON FLIGHT INFORMATION IT APPEARS THAT THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO FLY INTO THE LEADING EDGE OF THE STORM AND CRASHED. POST CRASH AIRCRAFT INSPECTION FOUND NO ANOMALIES THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED A CAUSAL FACTOR TO THE CRASH. BASED ON FLIGHT TIME VERSUS AVAILABLE FUEL ONBOARD AND LACK OF DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED DUE TO FUEL STARVATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.