What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Private pilot/owner flew from chinle (E91) and landed at winslow (inw) because of bad weather and to refuel. She secured her airplane and checked into a motel to wait out the weather. Two hours later, she was back at the airport and rapidly departed for henderson, NV (hnd) her home base. She did not file a flight plan and did not communicate with ATC. She departed winslow at approximately 1715. At approximately 1755, prescott fss received a phone call from a rancher near Young, AZ reporting an aircraft flying low (below the clouds) following the road. Five days later (dec 23) the wreckage was found. The plane had impacted the side of a canyon wall causing almost total destruction of the aircraft and the death of the pilot and her two dogs.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PRIVATE PILOT/OWNER FLEW FROM CHINLE (E91) AND LANDED AT WINSLOW (INW) BECAUSE OF BAD WEATHER AND TO REFUEL. SHE SECURED HER AIRPLANE AND CHECKED INTO A MOTEL TO WAIT OUT THE WEATHER. TWO HOURS LATER, SHE WAS BACK AT THE AIRPORT AND RAPIDLY DEPARTED FOR HENDERSON, NV (HND) HER HOME BASE. SHE DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN AND DID NOT COMMUNICATE WITH ATC. SHE DEPARTED WINSLOW AT APPROXIMATELY 1715. AT APPROXIMATELY 1755, PRESCOTT FSS RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM A RANCHER NEAR YOUNG, AZ REPORTING AN AIRCRAFT FLYING LOW (BELOW THE CLOUDS) FOLLOWING THE ROAD. FIVE DAYS LATER (DEC 23) THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND. THE PLANE HAD IMPACTED THE SIDE OF A CANYON WALL CAUSING ALMOST TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE DEATH OF THE PILOT AND HER TWO DOGS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.