What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot departed vacaville, California, at approximately 11:00 LCL after obtaining a fss briefing from mcminnville afss for a proposed 13 hour VFR flight to grand island, Nebraska. Enroute fueling stops were in elko, NV and rock springs, WY. The aircraft departed rock springs at approximately 21:30 lck. ATC radar tracking showed the aircraft heading east toward laramie, WY and climbing to an altitude of 13,500 feet MSL. There was no ambient moonlight over sparsely populated mountainous terrain with scattered snow showers along the route and winds aloft at 12,000 feet MSL, westerly at 50 knots. Radar data showed the aircraft's altitude varying between 13,500 feet and 12,900 feet MSL, suggesting turbulence may have been a factor. Doppler weather radar showed a band of light to moderate snow showers along the route at the time of the accident. In the vicinity of the accident site, ATC radar track showed the aircraft making a right descending 150-degree turn from its intended route, possibly in an attempt to exit IMC weather or to exit turbulence. At approximately 22:15 LCL, the aircraft impacted snow-covered rising terrain at 10,700 feet MSL in a right wing down, slightly nose low attitude with power on. The main aircraft wreckage came to a stop approximately 160 feet from initial impact site on approximately a 240 degree heading. All three occupants were killed from the impact. There was no post-crash fire. However, fuel was determined to be on board because the snow was stained and there was a fuel receipt from rock springs airport. Subsequently, NTSB, FAA, Lycoming engine and Piper aircraft investigators have initially determined that all damage to the aircraft was from the ground impact and the pilot may have lost control of the aircraft because of continued flight from VMC into IMC.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT DEPARTED VACAVILLE, CALIFORNIA, AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00 LCL AFTER OBTAINING A FSS BRIEFING FROM MCMINNVILLE AFSS FOR A PROPOSED 13 HOUR VFR FLIGHT TO GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA. ENROUTE FUELING STOPS WERE IN ELKO, NV AND ROCK SPRINGS, WY. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ROCK SPRINGS AT APPROXIMATELY 21:30 LCK. ATC RADAR TRACKING SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT HEADING EAST TOWARD LARAMIE, WY AND CLIMBING TO AN ALTITUDE OF 13,500 FEET MSL. THERE WAS NO AMBIENT MOONLIGHT OVER SPARSELY POPULATED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WITH SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS ALONG THE ROUTE AND WINDS ALOFT AT 12,000 FEET MSL, WESTERLY AT 50 KNOTS. RADAR DATA SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT'S ALTITUDE VARYING BETWEEN 13,500 FEET AND 12,900 FEET MSL, SUGGESTING TURBULENCE MAY HAVE BEEN A FACTOR. DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A BAND OF LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW SHOWERS ALONG THE ROUTE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. IN THE VICINITY OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, ATC RADAR TRACK SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT MAKING A RIGHT DESCENDING 150-DEGREE TURN FROM ITS INTENDED ROUTE, POSSIBLY IN AN ATTEMPT TO EXIT IMC WEATHER OR TO EXIT TURBULENCE. AT APPROXIMATELY 22:15 LCL, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED SNOW-COVERED RISING TERRAIN AT 10,700 FEET MSL IN A RIGHT WING DOWN, SLIGHTLY NOSE LOW ATTITUDE WITH POWER ON. THE MAIN AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE CAME TO A STOP APPROXIMATELY 160 FEET FROM INITIAL IMPACT SITE ON APPROXIMATELY A 240 DEGREE HEADING. ALL THREE OCCUPANTS WERE KILLED FROM THE IMPACT. THERE WAS NO POST-CRASH FIRE. HOWEVER, FUEL WAS DETERMINED TO BE ON BOARD BECAUSE THE SNOW WAS STAINED AND THERE WAS A FUEL RECEIPT FROM ROCK SPRINGS AIRPORT. SUBSEQUENTLY, NTSB, FAA, LYCOMING ENGINE AND PIPER AIRCRAFT INVESTIGATORS HAVE INITIALLY DETERMINED THAT ALL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS FROM THE GROUND IMPACT AND THE PILOT MAY HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT BECAUSE OF CONTINUED FLIGHT FROM VMC INTO IMC.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.