Incident Overview
A private pilot departed on a VFR flight from Crestview, Florida, with a destination of New Orleans, Louisiana. The pilot had requested flight following from Gulfport Approach Control. During the flight, the pilot encountered adverse weather conditions and subsequently requested and received an IFR clearance, along with vectors to navigate around the weather. The pilot acknowledged the IFR clearance, after which the airplane disappeared from radar.
Search and Recovery
The airplane remains missing and is presumed destroyed. The private pilot is missing and is presumed to be fatally injured. The passenger's body was located in the Gulf of Mexico on February 16, 1998.
Investigation
Investigation details are limited to the facts provided. No determination of probable cause has been stated.