Departure and Initial Flight
The flight departed from Duluth International Airport (DLH) in Duluth, Minnesota, bound for Thunder Bay Airport in Ontario, Canada. At the time of departure, weather conditions included a ceiling of 100 feet above ground level and visibility of 1/4 statute mile in fog. The airplane took off from runway 09 and initially turned to a heading of 005 degrees, climbing to an altitude of 2,700 feet mean sea level.
Communications and Radar Tracking
Approximately two minutes after issuing the takeoff clearance, the tower controller instructed the pilot to contact departure control. Four seconds later, the transmission "13Y contacting departure" was heard on the departure frequency, followed four seconds later by another transmission of "13Y." Subsequent attempts by departure control to contact the airplane were unsuccessful.
Radar data from Duluth showed that about forty seconds into the flight, the airplane turned to a heading of 065 degrees and began a gradual descent to 2,500 feet msl. Twenty seconds later, the airplane climbed to 3,400 feet msl and then entered a left descending turn that continued until radar contact was lost at 3,000 feet msl.
Wreckage Examination
Examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies.
Pilot Information
The pilot had logged 6.4 hours of instrument flight time since receiving a multi-engine instrument rating on March 24, 1999. He held a third-class medical certificate issued under a special issuance due to a history of myocardial infarction. Federal Aviation Administration toxicology testing detected the presence of verapamil, a prescription blood pressure medication.