Accident Overview
The airplane is missing and has not been located. The pilot is also missing. The passenger's body was discovered in Lake Michigan nearly one month after the accident.
Flight Details
The last known departure point was Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. According to information provided during a flight service station briefing earlier that day, the intended destination was Beaver Island, Michigan. The last radar contact placed the airplane over Lake Michigan south of Fairport, Michigan.
Search Efforts
The United States Coast Guard and the Civil Air Patrol conducted searches for the airplane, but it was not found.
Weather Conditions
Two AIRMETs were valid for the area of the last radar contact. One AIRMET warned of occasional low overcast ceilings less than 1,000 feet and visibility below 3 miles in stratus, precipitation, and mist. The other AIRMET warned of occasional moderate rime or mixed icing in clouds and in precipitation above the freezing level to 20,000 feet. The freezing level was identified near 4,000 feet over the northwest portion of the advisory area and rose to near 12,000 feet over the southern portion of the region.