What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot reported that both vacuum systems and gyro had failed and requested assistance. The acft subsequently crashed and was destroyed. The 2 POB suffered fatal injuries. Other circumstances are unknown. (.19) on January 20, 1999, at 1528 mountain standard time, a Cessna P210N, N79NL, was destroyed when it broke up in flight and collided with terrain in the sandia mountain wilderness area, Albuquerque, new Mexico. The instrument rated private pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an IFR flight plan had been filed for the personal flight being conducted under title 14 CFR part 91. The flight originated in scottsdale, Arizona, at 1343. According to ntap data and tape recorded radio communications, the airplane was at FL220 when the pilot told the Albuquerque air route traffic control center that he had sustained a "dual vacuum pump failure" and thought he had been in a spin. When told cloud bases in the area were between 12,000 and 13,000 feet AGL, the pilot advised he was descending. The pilot was then told to contact approach control. When he did so, he advised that he thought he had "just done a roll," and that he needed helphe also stated the airplane was equipped with an electrical artificial horizon and compass backups, but that they "didn't agree." Shortly thereafter, radio and radar contact were lost. Witnesses reported seeing a wing break off from the airplane, which then spiraled vertically to the ground. (.4) the pilot reported a dual vacuum pump failure while flying IFR at FL220. Despite having a standby electric artificial horizon, aircraft control was lost during the pilot's attempt to descend to 13,000 feet (reported cloud base). The airframe was overstressed and the right wing failed. Laboratory examination of the vacuum-driven gyroscopes disclosed no evidence of high rotation at impact. Both vacuum pumps bore signatures indicative of failure prior to impact. Not enough of the check valve manifold remained to determine its operational status. (-23)pilot reported loss of dual vacuum system for instruments. Pilot reported he was at 23,000 IFR. Pilot asked for help to decend below clouds and proceed to liberal, KS. Pilot reported his electrical back-up instruments did not agree and he thought he had just done a roll. Pilot wanted to lan d at Albuquerque. His last call was "we're dead". Aircraft was witnessed by several people decending straight down when it came out of the clouds. One wing came off and the aircraft spirated into the ground. Cloud base was 8600' crash was at 7200' elevation.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT REPORTED THAT BOTH VACUUM SYSTEMS AND GYRO HAD FAILED AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE. THE ACFT SUBSEQUENTLY CRASHED AND WAS DESTROYED. THE 2 POB SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES. OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON JANUARY 20, 1999, AT 1528 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA P210N, N79NL, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT BROKE UP IN FLIGHT AND COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN IN THE SANDIA MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS AREA, ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. THE INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED IN SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA, AT 1343. ACCORDING TO NTAP DATA AND TAPE RECORDED RADIO COMMUNICATIONS, THE AIRPLANE WAS AT FL220 WHEN THE PILOT TOLD THE ALBUQUERQUE AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER THAT HE HAD SUSTAINED A "DUAL VACUUM PUMP FAILURE" AND THOUGHT HE HAD BEEN IN A SPIN. WHEN TOLD CLOUD BASES IN THE AREA WERE BETWEEN 12,000 AND 13,000 FEET AGL, THE PILOT ADVISED HE WAS DESCENDING. THE PILOT WAS THEN TOLD TO CONTACT APPROACH CONTROL. WHEN HE DID SO, HE ADVISED THAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD "JUST DONE A ROLL," AND THAT HE NEEDED HELPHE ALSO STATED THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH AN ELECTRICAL ARTIFICIAL HORIZON AND COMPASS BACKUPS, BUT THAT THEY "DIDN'T AGREE." SHORTLY THEREAFTER, RADIO AND RADAR CONTACT WERE LOST. WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING A WING BREAK OFF FROM THE AIRPLANE, WHICH THEN SPIRALED VERTICALLY TO THE GROUND. (.4) THE PILOT REPORTED A DUAL VACUUM PUMP FAILURE WHILE FLYING IFR AT FL220. DESPITE HAVING A STANDBY ELECTRIC ARTIFICIAL HORIZON, AIRCRAFT CONTROL WAS LOST DURING THE PILOT'S ATTEMPT TO DESCEND TO 13,000 FEET (REPORTED CLOUD BASE). THE AIRFRAME WAS OVERSTRESSED AND THE RIGHT WING FAILED. LABORATORY EXAMINATION OF THE VACUUM-DRIVEN GYROSCOPES DISCLOSED NO EVIDENCE OF HIGH ROTATION AT IMPACT. BOTH VACUUM PUMPS BORE SIGNATURES INDICATIVE OF FAILURE PRIOR TO IMPACT. NOT ENOUGH OF THE CHECK VALVE MANIFOLD REMAINED TO DETERMINE ITS OPERATIONAL STATUS. (-23)PILOT REPORTED LOSS OF DUAL VACUUM SYSTEM FOR INSTRUMENTS. PILOT REPORTED HE WAS AT 23,000 IFR. PILOT ASKED FOR HELP TO DECEND BELOW CLOUDS AND PROCEED TO LIBERAL, KS. PILOT REPORTED HIS ELECTRICAL BACK-UP INSTRUMENTS DID NOT AGREE AND HE THOUGHT HE HAD JUST DONE A ROLL. PILOT WANTED TO LAN D AT ALBUQUERQUE. HIS LAST CALL WAS "WE'RE DEAD". AIRCRAFT WAS WITNESSED BY SEVERAL PEOPLE DECENDING STRAIGHT DOWN WHEN IT CAME OUT OF THE CLOUDS. ONE WING CAME OFF AND THE AIRCRAFT SPIRATED INTO THE GROUND. CLOUD BASE WAS 8600' CRASH WAS AT 7200' ELEVATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.