What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The aircraft departed bountiful, Utah at 1716 MDT on a VFR flight to Colorado city, Arizona. The pilot did not have an instrument rating. At 1830 MDT a position report was made by cell phone reporting over meadow, Utah with an estimated time of arrival to Colorado city of 1940 MDT to a family member. At approximately 1905 MDT a radar track of the aircraft indicated the plane was operating erratically near where it crashed. The plane was observed to vary in altitude from 12,200 to 10,800 before radar contact was lost. The aircraft wreckage was located the following morning by a search aircraft. The search aircraft reported extensive smoke in the area from fires in southern California and that the horizontal visibility limited. The accident aircraft was flying in an area of few ground lights in darkness before moon rise. All airports in the area were reporting clear with light winds at the time of the accident. The aircraft was over stressed and came apart in the air with the outer portion of both wings and the tail stabilizers separating from the fuselage before it impacted the ground.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED BOUNTIFUL, UTAH AT 1716 MDT ON A VFR FLIGHT TO COLORADO CITY, ARIZONA. THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE AN INSTRUMENT RATING. AT 1830 MDT A POSITION REPORT WAS MADE BY CELL PHONE REPORTING OVER MEADOW, UTAH WITH AN ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL TO COLORADO CITY OF 1940 MDT TO A FAMILY MEMBER. AT APPROXIMATELY 1905 MDT A RADAR TRACK OF THE AIRCRAFT INDICATED THE PLANE WAS OPERATING ERRATICALLY NEAR WHERE IT CRASHED. THE PLANE WAS OBSERVED TO VARY IN ALTITUDE FROM 12,200 TO 10,800 BEFORE RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED THE FOLLOWING MORNING BY A SEARCH AIRCRAFT. THE SEARCH AIRCRAFT REPORTED EXTENSIVE SMOKE IN THE AREA FROM FIRES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND THAT THE HORIZONTAL VISIBILITY LIMITED. THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING IN AN AREA OF FEW GROUND LIGHTS IN DARKNESS BEFORE MOON RISE. ALL AIRPORTS IN THE AREA WERE REPORTING CLEAR WITH LIGHT WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OVER STRESSED AND CAME APART IN THE AIR WITH THE OUTER PORTION OF BOTH WINGS AND THE TAIL STABILIZERS SEPARATING FROM THE FUSELAGE BEFORE IT IMPACTED THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.