What happened
During a night cargo operation traveling from Cleveland to Chicago, an aircraft crashed into Lake Michigan approximately 1.5 miles northeast of the Chicago-Merrill C. Meigs Airport. The flight was being operated by a single pilot who was the only person on board at the time of the accident.
As the aircraft approached its destination, meteorological conditions significantly deteriorated. Thick fog developed, resulting in highly restricted visibility for the pilot. During this approach, the pilot lost control of the aircraft, leading to an impact with the water. The crash resulted in one fatality and the total destruction of the aircraft.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several contributing elements that led to the uncontrolled descent. The primary factor was the decision to continue flight under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) despite worsening weather.
Specific environmental and operational factors included:
- Reduced visibility caused by heavy fog, which dropped to approximately 2 miles.
- The pilot's inability to maintain orientation, known as spatial disorientation.
- A transition in flight conditions where the previously sighted airfield was no longer visible, effectively necessitating Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) procedures that were not being followed.