What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The aircraft was on a night VFR flight from Wendover, Utah to salt lake city, Utah. A local military radar showed the aircraft had climbed to 8,400 feet MSL and entered an area of precipitation returns that the radar site was painting. Another aircraft flying a thousand feet lower watched the aircraft turn north bound and disappear from sight into what appeared to be cloud or precipitation. Approximately one minute & forty five seconds after entering the area of precipitation the aircraft disappeared from radar. The aircraft had suffered an in flight breakup due to overstress conditions and was located the following morning. No evidence of mechanical malfunction or failure was found.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON A NIGHT VFR FLIGHT FROM WENDOVER, UTAH TO SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH. A LOCAL MILITARY RADAR SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT HAD CLIMBED TO 8,400 FEET MSL AND ENTERED AN AREA OF PRECIPITATION RETURNS THAT THE RADAR SITE WAS PAINTING. ANOTHER AIRCRAFT FLYING A THOUSAND FEET LOWER WATCHED THE AIRCRAFT TURN NORTH BOUND AND DISAPPEAR FROM SIGHT INTO WHAT APPEARED TO BE CLOUD OR PRECIPITATION. APPROXIMATELY ONE MINUTE & FORTY FIVE SECONDS AFTER ENTERING THE AREA OF PRECIPITATION THE AIRCRAFT DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR. THE AIRCRAFT HAD SUFFERED AN IN FLIGHT BREAKUP DUE TO OVERSTRESS CONDITIONS AND WAS LOCATED THE FOLLOWING MORNING. NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE WAS FOUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N9381W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.