What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(From .4) the pilot and his pilot-rated passenger were flying cross-country for the purpose of building flight time. The pilot assumed the role of PIC for the leg from durango to their intended destination of santa fe. During a stop earlier in the day in las vegas, the passenger checked the weather using a computer located in the terminal, which called for low clouds and a narrow temperature/dew point spread at the airport in santa fe. He did not obtain sigmets. While in cruise flight, he and his passenger began to encounter snow, fog and rain. While attempting to climb, he entered instrument meteorological conditions. The aircraft then impacted the trees in a 90 right bank and at a 45 degree downward pitch. The aircraft came to rest in an inverted position along a 45 degree inclining mountainous slope covered by several feet of snow. The aircraft was not IFR equipped.
As the FAA filed it
(FROM .4) THE PILOT AND HIS PILOT-RATED PASSENGER WERE FLYING CROSS-COUNTRY FOR THE PURPOSE OF BUILDING FLIGHT TIME. THE PILOT ASSUMED THE ROLE OF PIC FOR THE LEG FROM DURANGO TO THEIR INTENDED DESTINATION OF SANTA FE. DURING A STOP EARLIER IN THE DAY IN LAS VEGAS, THE PASSENGER CHECKED THE WEATHER USING A COMPUTER LOCATED IN THE TERMINAL, WHICH CALLED FOR LOW CLOUDS AND A NARROW TEMPERATURE/DEW POINT SPREAD AT THE AIRPORT IN SANTA FE. HE DID NOT OBTAIN SIGMETS. WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, HE AND HIS PASSENGER BEGAN TO ENCOUNTER SNOW, FOG AND RAIN. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLIMB, HE ENTERED INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE AIRCRAFT THEN IMPACTED THE TREES IN A 90 RIGHT BANK AND AT A 45 DEGREE DOWNWARD PITCH. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN AN INVERTED POSITION ALONG A 45 DEGREE INCLINING MOUNTAINOUS SLOPE COVERED BY SEVERAL FEET OF SNOW. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT IFR EQUIPPED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.