What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed under unknown circumstances, the 2 POB suffered fatal injuries, the acft was destroyed. (-23)on July 6, 1999, at 0745 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 182J, N3334F, collided with the ground approximately 5.5 miles east of the la vet-cuchara airport, La Veta, Colorado, following takeoff. The private pilot and her passenger received fatal injuries and the aircraft was destroyed instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site and a VFR flight plan was filed for this personal flight operation under 14 CFR part 91. The destination was amarillo, Texas. According to witness information the weather at the La Veta-cuchara valley airport was about 500 foot overcast at the time the flight departed. The airport altitude was 7,153 feet above mean sea level (MSL), and the accident side elevation was 7,430 feet MSL. According to FAA records, the pilot did not possess an instrument rating and according to her logbook, she had no actual instrument flight experience.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE 2 POB SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED. (-23)ON JULY 6, 1999, AT 0745 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 182J, N3334F, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 5.5 MILES EAST OF THE LA VET-CUCHARA AIRPORT, LA VETA, COLORADO, FOLLOWING TAKEOFF. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HER PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THIS PERSONAL FLIGHT OPERATION UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE DESTINATION WAS AMARILLO, TEXAS. ACCORDING TO WITNESS INFORMATION THE WEATHER AT THE LA VETA-CUCHARA VALLEY AIRPORT WAS ABOUT 500 FOOT OVERCAST AT THE TIME THE FLIGHT DEPARTED. THE AIRPORT ALTITUDE WAS 7,153 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL), AND THE ACCIDENT SIDE ELEVATION WAS 7,430 FEET MSL. ACCORDING TO FAA RECORDS, THE PILOT DID NOT POSSESS AN INSTRUMENT RATING AND ACCORDING TO HER LOGBOOK, SHE HAD NO ACTUAL INSTRUMENT FLIGHT EXPERIENCE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.