What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft departed the north las vegas, airport on may 15, 2004 for a local sight seeing flight. The private pilot and his three passengers sustained fatal injuries after impacting terrain at the above mentioned coordinates. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 CFR part 91 personnel flight. The pilot contacted air traffic control and requested flight following. Air traffic controllers reported losing radar contact with the airplane at 16,500 feet MSL at 1658. No distress calls were obtained from the pilot. Witnesses located within the grand canyon national park told park rangers they observed the airplane descending at a nose-low pitch attitude, and "spinning or moving in some strange way" before impacting terrain and catching fire. According to one witness, he heard the engine "gear up then slow down repeatedly."
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE NORTH LAS VEGAS, AIRPORT ON MAY 15, 2004 FOR A LOCAL SIGHT SEEING FLIGHT. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS THREE PASSENGERS SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES AFTER IMPACTING TERRAIN AT THE ABOVE MENTIONED COORDINATES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONNEL FLIGHT. THE PILOT CONTACTED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL AND REQUESTED FLIGHT FOLLOWING. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS REPORTED LOSING RADAR CONTACT WITH THE AIRPLANE AT 16,500 FEET MSL AT 1658. NO DISTRESS CALLS WERE OBTAINED FROM THE PILOT. WITNESSES LOCATED WITHIN THE GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK TOLD PARK RANGERS THEY OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE DESCENDING AT A NOSE-LOW PITCH ATTITUDE, AND "SPINNING OR MOVING IN SOME STRANGE WAY" BEFORE IMPACTING TERRAIN AND CATCHING FIRE. ACCORDING TO ONE WITNESS, HE HEARD THE ENGINE "GEAR UP THEN SLOW DOWN REPEATEDLY."
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.