What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 5, 1998, at 1629 mountain standard time, a Mooney M20E, N9213M, owned and operated by the pilot, was destroyed when it impacted mountainous terrain while in cruise flight 10 miles south-southeast of Taos, new Mexico. The private pilot and one of his two dogs, duke, was fatally injured. The other dog, jake, was seriously injured and had to be destroyed. Instrumetn meteorological conditions reportedly were forecast in the area, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight being conducted under title 14 CFR part 91. The flight originated at santa fe, new Mexico, at 1558. According to family members, the pilot, gordon veneklasen, was traveling to angle fire to pick up his son,privacy data omitted ^from there they planned to fly to Texas to go quail hunting. Accompanying Mr. Veneklasen were his two dogs, jake and duke. There is no record of him obtaining a weather briefing to filing a flight plan for the 60 mile flight to angel fire. When the airplane failed to arrive, an alnot (alert notice) was issures at 2126. The wreckage was located by a new Mexico state police helicopter pilot a 1020 on February 8, 1998, at the 10700 foot level of rito quioen saba, part of the sangre de cristo mountain range, at 36 degrees, 15.81 minutes north latitude and 105 degrees 24.866 minutes west longitude. Search and rescue personnel reported that a witness,privacy data omitted had seen a low wing airplane "flying in and out of the cloud bottoms" shortly before the estimated time of the accident. (-23) on February 5, 1998, approximately 1630 mountain standard time, a Mooney M20E, N9213M, owned and operated by the pilot, was destroyed when it impacted mountainous terrain while in cruise flight 10 miles south-southeast of Taos, new Mexico. The private pilot and one of his two dogs was fatally injured. The other dog was seriously injured and had to be destroyed. Instrument meteorological conditions reportedly were forecast in the area, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight being conducted under title 14 CFR part 91. The flight originated at santa fe, new Mexico, at 1558.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 5, 1998, AT 1629 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A MOONEY M20E, N9213M, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT 10 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF TAOS, NEW MEXICO. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE OF HIS TWO DOGS, DUKE, WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE OTHER DOG, JAKE, WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND HAD TO BE DESTROYED. INSTRUMETN METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS REPORTEDLY WERE FORECAST IN THE AREA, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO, AT 1558. ACCORDING TO FAMILY MEMBERS, THE PILOT, GORDON VENEKLASEN, WAS TRAVELING TO ANGLE FIRE TO PICK UP HIS SON,^PRIVACY ^FROM THERE THEY PLANNED TO FLY TO TEXAS TO GO QUAIL HUNTING. ACCOMPANYING MR. VENEKLASEN WERE HIS TWO DOGS, JAKE AND DUKE. THERE IS NO RECORD OF HIM OBTAINING A WEATHER BRIEFING TO FILING A FLIGHT PLAN FOR THE 60 MILE FLIGHT TO ANGEL FIRE. WHEN THE AIRPLANE FAILED TO ARRIVE, AN ALNOT (ALERT NOTICE) WAS ISSURES AT 2126. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED BY A NEW MEXICO STATE POLICE HELICOPTER PILOT A 1020 ON FEBRUARY 8, 1998, AT THE 10700 FOOT LEVEL OF RITO QUIOEN SABA, PART OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAIN RANGE, AT 36 DEGREES, 15.81 MINUTES NORTH LATITUDE AND 105 DEGREES 24.866 MINUTES WEST LONGITUDE. SEARCH AND RESCUE PERSONNEL REPORTED THAT A WITNESS,^PRIVACY D^ HAD SEEN A LOW WING AIRPLANE "FLYING IN AND OUT OF THE CLOUD BOTTOMS" SHORTLY BEFORE THE ESTIMATED TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. (-23) ON FEBRUARY 5, 1998, APPROXIMATELY 1630 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A MOONEY M20E, N9213M, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT 10 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF TAOS, NEW MEXICO. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE OF HIS TWO DOGS WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE OTHER DOG WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND HAD TO BE DESTROYED. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS REPORTEDLY WERE FORECAST IN THE AREA, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO, AT 1558.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.