What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The instrument rated private pilot received an in-person abbreviated weather briefing from the albuquerque flight service station (fss), and local weather reports from a friend who lived near the Taos Municipal Airport via telephone and aircraft radio. Fss advised the pilot that VFR flight was not recommended due to mountain tops being obscured, turbulence, and icing conditions. His friend said it was snowing at his home. The pilot then filed a VFR flight plan for the dark night cross country flight, and departed albuquerque for Taos. Later, he radioed his friend and told him that the snow had moved in behind him, he had the airport in sight, but was having difficulty maintaining visual contact with the runway lights because he was 'in and out of snow showers.' The airplane impacted terrain 1.5 miles east of the airport. Toxicological tests revealed that the pilot, a psychiatrist, was positive for fluoxetine (prozac), a contraindicated prescription drug, known to affect judgement. (-23) on February 24, 2000, at approximately 1857 MST, a Cessna 182-E, N2988Y, owned and operated by the pilot crashed 11/2 miles east of the Taos Municipal Airport at el prado, NM. The private instrument rated pilot, the sole occupant on board, was fatally injured. Approximately two minutes prior to impact he reported by radio to ground personnel that he had encountered intermittent instrument meteorological conditons with icing while operating 500 feet AGL. He received a VFR not recommended face to face briefing from an albuquerque afss specialist prior to departing albuquerque, but did not file a flight plan. There was no fire.
As the FAA filed it
THE INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED AN IN-PERSON ABBREVIATED WEATHER BRIEFING FROM THE ALBUQUERQUE FLIGHT SERVICE STATION (FSS), AND LOCAL WEATHER REPORTS FROM A FRIEND WHO LIVED NEAR THE TAOS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT VIA TELEPHONE AND AIRCRAFT RADIO. FSS ADVISED THE PILOT THAT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED DUE TO MOUNTAIN TOPS BEING OBSCURED, TURBULENCE, AND ICING CONDITIONS. HIS FRIEND SAID IT WAS SNOWING AT HIS HOME. THE PILOT THEN FILED A VFR FLIGHT PLAN FOR THE DARK NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT, AND DEPARTED ALBUQUERQUE FOR TAOS. LATER, HE RADIOED HIS FRIEND AND TOLD HIM THAT THE SNOW HAD MOVED IN BEHIND HIM, HE HAD THE AIRPORT IN SIGHT, BUT WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY LIGHTS BECAUSE HE WAS 'IN AND OUT OF SNOW SHOWERS.' THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TERRAIN 1.5 MILES EAST OF THE AIRPORT. TOXICOLOGICAL TESTS REVEALED THAT THE PILOT, A PSYCHIATRIST, WAS POSITIVE FOR FLUOXETINE (PROZAC), A CONTRAINDICATED PRESCRIPTION DRUG, KNOWN TO AFFECT JUDGEMENT. (-23) ON FEBRUARY 24, 2000, AT APPROXIMATELY 1857 MST, A CESSNA 182-E, N2988Y, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT CRASHED 11/2 MILES EAST OF THE TAOS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT AT EL PRADO, NM. THE PRIVATE INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT ON BOARD, WAS FATALLY INJURED. APPROXIMATELY TWO MINUTES PRIOR TO IMPACT HE REPORTED BY RADIO TO GROUND PERSONNEL THAT HE HAD ENCOUNTERED INTERMITTENT INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITONS WITH ICING WHILE OPERATING 500 FEET AGL. HE RECEIVED A VFR NOT RECOMMENDED FACE TO FACE BRIEFING FROM AN ALBUQUERQUE AFSS SPECIALIST PRIOR TO DEPARTING ALBUQUERQUE, BUT DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN. THERE WAS NO FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.