What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Phone call to routt county sheriff's office of a forest fire 15 mi. Southeast of steamboat springs above buff pass by rabbit ears pass. They dispatched a helicopter and a crew. Upon arrival the crew noticed aircraft wreckage at the scene. Upon arrival at the entire scene, 95% of the wreckage was totally consumed by fire. The county coroner removed three unidentifiable bodies. The aircraft was totally consumed by fire with exception of two wing tips. The aircraft was traced through Lycoming with the serial number from the engine. The occupants were traced through a missing person query from the female's company. As of this date, there were no witnesses to the accident and the aircraft log books and pilot's log were believed to have been consumed by the fire. The propeller was virtually undamaged and the spinner was bent but not twisted. Reports from services at a steamboat springs airport stated a plane fitting the description landed about 1045AM for a restroom stop for the female occupant and to service the left main tire with air. The female rejoined the other two occupants and they took off at approximately 1045AM. The rio lobo insignia was noticed at the airport and again at the accident scene.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PHONE CALL TO ROUTT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE OF A FOREST FIRE 15 MI. SOUTHEAST OF STEAMBOAT SPRINGS ABOVE BUFF PASS BY RABBIT EARS PASS. THEY DISPATCHED A HELICOPTER AND A CREW. UPON ARRIVAL THE CREW NOTICED AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE AT THE SCENE. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE ENTIRE SCENE, 95% OF THE WRECKAGE WAS TOTALLY CONSUMED BY FIRE. THE COUNTY CORONER REMOVED THREE UNIDENTIFIABLE BODIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOTALLY CONSUMED BY FIRE WITH EXCEPTION OF TWO WING TIPS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRACED THROUGH LYCOMING WITH THE SERIAL NUMBER FROM THE ENGINE. THE OCCUPANTS WERE TRACED THROUGH A MISSING PERSON QUERY FROM THE FEMALE'S COMPANY. AS OF THIS DATE, THERE WERE NO WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT AND THE AIRCRAFT LOG BOOKS AND PILOT'S LOG WERE BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN CONSUMED BY THE FIRE. THE PROPELLER WAS VIRTUALLY UNDAMAGED AND THE SPINNER WAS BENT BUT NOT TWISTED. REPORTS FROM SERVICES AT A STEAMBOAT SPRINGS AIRPORT STATED A PLANE FITTING THE DESCRIPTION LANDED ABOUT 1045AM FOR A RESTROOM STOP FOR THE FEMALE OCCUPANT AND TO SERVICE THE LEFT MAIN TIRE WITH AIR. THE FEMALE REJOINED THE OTHER TWO OCCUPANTS AND THEY TOOK OFF AT APPROXIMATELY 1045AM. THE RIO LOBO INSIGNIA WAS NOTICED AT THE AIRPORT AND AGAIN AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.