What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The aircraft was involved in an attempt to photograph a russian MIG-21 in flight 16 miles NE of Prescott AZ. Before the attempt was made the MIG-21 experienced a gear retraction problem. It was agreed by the pilot of the PA-42, privacy data omitted, and the pilot of the mig privacy data omitted that the pilot privacy data omitted ^ would maneuver the PA-42 under the mig and report the condition of the mig landing gear. The aircraft were circling in a clockwise direction. It appears the PA-42 approached from under and to the left of the mig and reported "the right main gear door or gear", but the statement was not completed. The mig pilot attempted to make contact with the pilot privacy data omitted ^ but no further reply was heard from the pilot privacy data omitted ^. The mig observed a column of smoke from the ground and reported it to the prc tower. The mig returned to prc and landed. The PA-42 crashed killing the five occupants. The aircraft crashed inverted. The horizontal stabilizer and approximately half of the vertical stabilizer was found approximately 1/4 mile from the main wreckage, indicating an in-flight separation of the tail portion of the PA-42.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE AIRCRAFT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ATTEMPT TO PHOTOGRAPH A RUSSIAN MIG-21 IN FLIGHT 16 MILES NE OF PRESCOTT AZ. BEFORE THE ATTEMPT WAS MADE THE MIG-21 EXPERIENCED A GEAR RETRACTION PROBLEM. IT WAS AGREED BY THE PILOT OF THE PA-42, ^PRIVACY DATA OMI^, AND THE PILOT OF THE MIG ^PRIVACY DAT^ THAT THE PILOT ^PRIVACY ^ WOULD MANEUVER THE PA-42 UNDER THE MIG AND REPORT THE CONDITION OF THE MIG LANDING GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT WERE CIRCLING IN A CLOCKWISE DIRECTION. IT APPEARS THE PA-42 APPROACHED FROM UNDER AND TO THE LEFT OF THE MIG AND REPORTED "THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR DOOR OR GEAR", BUT THE STATEMENT WAS NOT COMPLETED. THE MIG PILOT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE PILOT ^PRIVACY ^ BUT NO FURTHER REPLY WAS HEARD FROM THE PILOT ^PRIVACY ^. THE MIG OBSERVED A COLUMN OF SMOKE FROM THE GROUND AND REPORTED IT TO THE PRC TOWER. THE MIG RETURNED TO PRC AND LANDED. THE PA-42 CRASHED KILLING THE FIVE OCCUPANTS. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INVERTED. THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND APPROXIMATELY HALF OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE, INDICATING AN IN-FLIGHT SEPARATION OF THE TAIL PORTION OF THE PA-42.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.