What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On June 1, 2004 1045 local time a PA-28-151 piloted by Mr. Jeremy fradet and Mr. Edmond stilp received substantial damage following a crash into mountainous terrain near Cle Elum lake in the Washington cascades. Mr. Fradet was flying the aircraft from the left seat. He was accompanied by Mr. Stilp in the right seat with operational flight controls, who is also rated pilot. Both pilots perform pilot duties as a lear jet crew for the same company based in seattle, Washington. The purpose of this flight was to reposition the crew back to seattle, after repositioning a lear jet to wenatchee, WA for maintenance. A post crash investigation of the aircraft performed by FAA, NTSB and manufacturing representatives indicate that this crash was not due to any mechanical failure of the aircraft. The weather at the time of the accident was clear VFR conditions, and not a factor in this aircraft accident. The right seat occupant stated that "jeremy, the PIC turned west into a box canyon and flew the aircraft into rising terrain." The right seat occupant also stated in an interview with FAA personnel that the aircraft did not experience any power loss or control problems that would result in the accident.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JUNE 1, 2004 1045 LOCAL TIME A PA-28-151 PILOTED BY MR. JEREMY FRADET AND MR. EDMOND STILP RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FOLLOWING A CRASH INTO MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN NEAR CLE ELUM LAKE IN THE WASHINGTON CASCADES. MR. FRADET WAS FLYING THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE LEFT SEAT. HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY MR. STILP IN THE RIGHT SEAT WITH OPERATIONAL FLIGHT CONTROLS, WHO IS ALSO RATED PILOT. BOTH PILOTS PERFORM PILOT DUTIES AS A LEAR JET CREW FOR THE SAME COMPANY BASED IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON. THE PURPOSE OF THIS FLIGHT WAS TO REPOSITION THE CREW BACK TO SEATTLE, AFTER REPOSITIONING A LEAR JET TO WENATCHEE, WA FOR MAINTENANCE. A POST CRASH INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMED BY FAA, NTSB AND MANUFACTURING REPRESENTATIVES INDICATE THAT THIS CRASH WAS NOT DUE TO ANY MECHANICAL FAILURE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS CLEAR VFR CONDITIONS, AND NOT A FACTOR IN THIS AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT. THE RIGHT SEAT OCCUPANT STATED THAT "JEREMY, THE PIC TURNED WEST INTO A BOX CANYON AND FLEW THE AIRCRAFT INTO RISING TERRAIN." THE RIGHT SEAT OCCUPANT ALSO STATED IN AN INTERVIEW WITH FAA PERSONNEL THAT THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY POWER LOSS OR CONTROL PROBLEMS THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.