What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) While on a night VFR flight from longmont, CO. To north las vegas, NV. The engine failed over mountainous terrain. There was no evidence of mechanical failure of the engine. The pilot was unable to restart the engine before crashing into terrain at 6830 feet MSL. Due to the extend of destruction by fire of the aircraft after the crash it is believed that some fuel was still available in one of the aircraft fuel tanks. The aircraft had been observed on radar as being above 14,000 feet MSL for at least 2 hours during the flight and as high as 16,000 feet MSL. No supplemental oxygen was taken on the flight by the pilot. It is believed that due to the hypoxic condition of the pilot she did not switch fuel tanks before the engine failed due to fuel exhaustion. Actual altitude of the engine failure is not known. Following the engine failure, her hypoxic condition and limited experience rendered her unable to correctly respond to emergency by switching to a tank with fuel in it. The fact that it was at night when the engine failure occurred contributed to the severity of the accident. (.19) on January 23, 2003, at approximately 2040 mountain standard time, a PA-28R-200, N106AW, was destroyed following impact with terrain subsequent to a night forced landing attempt from cruise flight near la sal, Utah. The non-instrument rated private pilot and her three passengers were fatally injured. Air west flight center inc. of longmont, Colorado, was operating the flight under 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the night cross-country flight that originated from longmont, Colorado, at approximately 3 hours 55 minutes before the accident. A visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan had been activated with las vegas, Nevada, as its destination. Denver air route traffic control center (ARTCC) received an emergency "may-day" transmission from the pilot at approximately 2035. No further transmissions were received. Search and rescue teams located the airplane at approximately 0900, on January 25, 2003. The airplane was consumed by postimpact fire.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) WHILE ON A NIGHT VFR FLIGHT FROM LONGMONT, CO. TO NORTH LAS VEGAS, NV. THE ENGINE FAILED OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL FAILURE OF THE ENGINE. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE BEFORE CRASHING INTO TERRAIN AT 6830 FEET MSL. DUE TO THE EXTEND OF DESTRUCTION BY FIRE OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE CRASH IT IS BELIEVED THAT SOME FUEL WAS STILL AVAILABLE IN ONE OF THE AIRCRAFT FUEL TANKS. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN OBSERVED ON RADAR AS BEING ABOVE 14,000 FEET MSL FOR AT LEAST 2 HOURS DURING THE FLIGHT AND AS HIGH AS 16,000 FEET MSL. NO SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN WAS TAKEN ON THE FLIGHT BY THE PILOT. IT IS BELIEVED THAT DUE TO THE HYPOXIC CONDITION OF THE PILOT SHE DID NOT SWITCH FUEL TANKS BEFORE THE ENGINE FAILED DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. ACTUAL ALTITUDE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE IS NOT KNOWN. FOLLOWING THE ENGINE FAILURE, HER HYPOXIC CONDITION AND LIMITED EXPERIENCE RENDERED HER UNABLE TO CORRECTLY RESPOND TO EMERGENCY BY SWITCHING TO A TANK WITH FUEL IN IT. THE FACT THAT IT WAS AT NIGHT WHEN THE ENGINE FAILURE OCCURRED CONTRIBUTED TO THE SEVERITY OF THE ACCIDENT. (.19) ON JANUARY 23, 2003, AT APPROXIMATELY 2040 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A PA-28R-200, N106AW, WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING IMPACT WITH TERRAIN SUBSEQUENT TO A NIGHT FORCED LANDING ATTEMPT FROM CRUISE FLIGHT NEAR LA SAL, UTAH. THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT AND HER THREE PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. AIR WEST FLIGHT CENTER INC. OF LONGMONT, COLORADO, WAS OPERATING THE FLIGHT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE NIGHT CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED FROM LONGMONT, COLORADO, AT APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS 55 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN ACTIVATED WITH LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, AS ITS DESTINATION. DENVER AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER (ARTCC) RECEIVED AN EMERGENCY "MAY-DAY" TRANSMISSION FROM THE PILOT AT APPROXIMATELY 2035. NO FURTHER TRANSMISSIONS WERE RECEIVED. SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAMS LOCATED THE AIRPLANE AT APPROXIMATELY 0900, ON JANUARY 25, 2003. THE AIRPLANE WAS CONSUMED BY POSTIMPACT 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.