What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Departed dark night sans runway lights. Pilot had a no fly drug in system impaired performance head cold drug. (.19) on October 12, 1996, approximately 0624 mountain daylight time, a keith vans RV-6A, N16DK, collided with terrain after takeoff from Grassy Meadows sky ranch, a private airport south of Hurricane, Utah. The airplane was destroyed and the private pilot (who owned and had built the experimental-category aircraft, according to the faa's aircraft registry) and a passenger were killed. The airplane was enroute from Grassy Meadows to the experimental aircraft association (eaa) copperstate regional fly-in at williams gateway airport, phoenix, Arizona. Dark night visual meteorological conditions existed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed.
As the FAA filed it
DEPARTED DARK NIGHT SANS RUNWAY LIGHTS. PILOT HAD A NO FLY DRUG IN SYSTEM IMPAIRED PERFORMANCE HEAD COLD DRUG. (.19) ON OCTOBER 12, 1996, APPROXIMATELY 0624 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A KEITH VANS RV-6A, N16DK, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN AFTER TAKEOFF FROM GRASSY MEADOWS SKY RANCH, A PRIVATE AIRPORT SOUTH OF HURRICANE, UTAH. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED AND THE PRIVATE PILOT (WHO OWNED AND HAD BUILT THE EXPERIMENTAL-CATEGORY AIRCRAFT, ACCORDING TO THE FAA'S AIRCRAFT REGISTRY) AND A PASSENGER WERE KILLED. THE AIRPLANE WAS ENROUTE FROM GRASSY MEADOWS TO THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION (EAA) COPPERSTATE REGIONAL FLY-IN AT WILLIAMS GATEWAY AIRPORT, PHOENIX, ARIZONA. DARK NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.