What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On December 8, 1999 at 2331 MST, privacy data omitted , a commercial pilot operated as PIC a Cessna T210L aircraft with registration number N2179S, operated by b&m enterprises, inc., dba new Mexico flying service. The aircraft was destroyed and burned when it impacted terrain approximately 11 miles west of Elida, new Mexico. The pilot and sole occupant aboard, was fatally injured. At approximately 2331 MST, the pilot of N2179S, requested lower and was cleared from 13,000 to 11,000. Shortly after, he reported "picking up some ice," and requested 9,000. After a while the controller told the pilot "you reversed course on me, what you're doing, sir." To which the pilot replied, "my instruments are going bad" and added, "79S, I need to get down." Asked if he could fly the compass, the pilot replied, "I can try". The pilot was advised of an airport at his 5 o'clock position if he needed to get down, and was given a heading of 010 degrees. Approximately 14 seconds later the pilot yelled, "I'm in trouble! I'm in trouble." Examination of the wreckage disclosed indications of a near vertical impact. There was no evidence of an inflight breakup or inflight fire, but there was fire after impact. Partial flight control cable continuity was established. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed. There was a forecast for moderate mixed, rime icing from the freezing level to 21,000, IFR and obscuration below 18,000 on the AIRMET. During the pilot briefing, the weather briefer stated, "current conditions along the route of flight out of abq; snow showers obscuring mountains northeast, going to the east, you're going to be on the soup the whole way."the aera forecast for eastern plains for new Mexico indicated rain and snow showers with isolated thunderstorms. Although the airplane was equipped with dual vacuum pumps, de-ice boots, and a heated propeller and windshield, this aircraft was not certificated for flight into known icing conditions. (.4)the flight was being operated as an on-demand nonscheduled domestic cargo flight. After obtaining a standard weather briefing and filing an IFR flight plan, the pilot took off at 2228. At 2320, after being cleared to descend from 13,000 to 11,000 feet, the pilot was cleared to descend further to 9,000 feet because he was 'starting to pickup some ice, here.' At 2329, th e controller noticed the airplane had reversed course and he asked the pilot what he was doing. The pilot replied, 'I'm not sure. My instruments are going bad.' Radio and radar contract were lost shortly thereafter. The airplane struck the ground in a near vertical attitude. No avionics, instruments or vacuum pumps were recovered intact. There was no evidence of preimpact airframe, powerplant, propeller, or flight control failure/malfunction.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON DECEMBER 8, 1999 AT 2331 MST, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ , A COMMERCIAL PILOT OPERATED AS PIC A CESSNA T210L AIRCRAFT WITH REGISTRATION NUMBER N2179S, OPERATED BY B&M ENTERPRISES, INC., DBA NEW MEXICO FLYING SERVICE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND BURNED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 11 MILES WEST OF ELIDA, NEW MEXICO. THE PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT ABOARD, WAS FATALLY INJURED. AT APPROXIMATELY 2331 MST, THE PILOT OF N2179S, REQUESTED LOWER AND WAS CLEARED FROM 13,000 TO 11,000. SHORTLY AFTER, HE REPORTED "PICKING UP SOME ICE," AND REQUESTED 9,000. AFTER A WHILE THE CONTROLLER TOLD THE PILOT "YOU REVERSED COURSE ON ME, WHAT YOU'RE DOING, SIR." TO WHICH THE PILOT REPLIED, "MY INSTRUMENTS ARE GOING BAD" AND ADDED, "79S, I NEED TO GET DOWN." ASKED IF HE COULD FLY THE COMPASS, THE PILOT REPLIED, "I CAN TRY". THE PILOT WAS ADVISED OF AN AIRPORT AT HIS 5 O'CLOCK POSITION IF HE NEEDED TO GET DOWN, AND WAS GIVEN A HEADING OF 010 DEGREES. APPROXIMATELY 14 SECONDS LATER THE PILOT YELLED, "I'M IN TROUBLE! I'M IN TROUBLE." EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DISCLOSED INDICATIONS OF A NEAR VERTICAL IMPACT. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF AN INFLIGHT BREAKUP OR INFLIGHT FIRE, BUT THERE WAS FIRE AFTER IMPACT. PARTIAL FLIGHT CONTROL CABLE CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) PREVAILED. THERE WAS A FORECAST FOR MODERATE MIXED, RIME ICING FROM THE FREEZING LEVEL TO 21,000, IFR AND OBSCURATION BELOW 18,000 ON THE AIRMET. DURING THE PILOT BRIEFING, THE WEATHER BRIEFER STATED, "CURRENT CONDITIONS ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT OUT OF ABQ; SNOW SHOWERS OBSCURING MOUNTAINS NORTHEAST, GOING TO THE EAST, YOU'RE GOING TO BE ON THE SOUP THE WHOLE WAY."THE AERA FORECAST FOR EASTERN PLAINS FOR NEW MEXICO INDICATED RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. ALTHOUGH THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH DUAL VACUUM PUMPS, DE-ICE BOOTS, AND A HEATED PROPELLER AND WINDSHIELD, THIS AIRCRAFT WAS NOT CERTIFICATED FOR FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ICING CONDITIONS. (.4)THE FLIGHT WAS BEING OPERATED AS AN ON-DEMAND NONSCHEDULED DOMESTIC CARGO FLIGHT. AFTER OBTAINING A STANDARD WEATHER BRIEFING AND FILING AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN, THE PILOT TOOK OFF AT 2228. AT 2320, AFTER BEING CLEARED TO DESCEND FROM 13,000 TO 11,000 FEET, THE PILOT WAS CLEARED TO DESCEND FURTHER TO 9,000 FEET BECAUSE HE WAS 'STARTING TO PICKUP SOME ICE, HERE.' AT 2329, TH E CONTROLLER NOTICED THE AIRPLANE HAD REVERSED COURSE AND HE ASKED THE PILOT WHAT HE WAS DOING. THE PILOT REPLIED, 'I'M NOT SURE. MY INSTRUMENTS ARE GOING BAD.' RADIO AND RADAR CONTRACT WERE LOST SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE. NO AVIONICS, INSTRUMENTS OR VACUUM PUMPS WERE RECOVERED INTACT. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT AIRFRAME, POWERPLANT, PROPELLER, OR FLIGHT CONTROL FAILURE/MALFUNCTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.