What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While returning home to bountiful airpark from caldwell, ID (eul) with his newly purchased aircraft, a PA24-260, the aircraft crashed under night VFR conditions approximately 1.5 hours into the flight. The pilot in command of the accident aircraft was a student pilot with 66.9 hours of flight time, of that 66.9 hours only 7.9 were in a high performance complex aircraft, 4.3 hours of night dual and 2.8 hours of simulated instrument. The PIC had made his last flight on 08-26-2008 in a PA28-R200 and had 5.7 hours in a PA24-250 on 10-30-2007. After takeoff in his newly purchased aircraft the PIC made contact with the previous owner by cell phone asking about fuel gauge indication. Later in the flight while communicating by radio with the pilot of another aircraft he was traveling with the accident aircraft pilot indicating that the door was open and it was cold in the cockpit and said he needed to land to correct the situation. He turned 180 degrees from his current heading and was going to land at U76. He later reported that he had resolved the situation without landing at U76 and was turning around to continue to bountiful airpark near slc. Shortly after the aircraft suffered an inflight breakup and crashed.
As the FAA filed it
WHILE RETURNING HOME TO BOUNTIFUL AIRPARK FROM CALDWELL, ID (EUL) WITH HIS NEWLY PURCHASED AIRCRAFT, A PA24-260, THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER NIGHT VFR CONDITIONS APPROXIMATELY 1.5 HOURS INTO THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT IN COMMAND OF THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS A STUDENT PILOT WITH 66.9 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME, OF THAT 66.9 HOURS ONLY 7.9 WERE IN A HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPLEX AIRCRAFT, 4.3 HOURS OF NIGHT DUAL AND 2.8 HOURS OF SIMULATED INSTRUMENT. THE PIC HAD MADE HIS LAST FLIGHT ON 08-26-2008 IN A PA28-R200 AND HAD 5.7 HOURS IN A PA24-250 ON 10-30-2007. AFTER TAKEOFF IN HIS NEWLY PURCHASED AIRCRAFT THE PIC MADE CONTACT WITH THE PREVIOUS OWNER BY CELL PHONE ASKING ABOUT FUEL GAUGE INDICATION. LATER IN THE FLIGHT WHILE COMMUNICATING BY RADIO WITH THE PILOT OF ANOTHER AIRCRAFT HE WAS TRAVELING WITH THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT PILOT INDICATING THAT THE DOOR WAS OPEN AND IT WAS COLD IN THE COCKPIT AND SAID HE NEEDED TO LAND TO CORRECT THE SITUATION. HE TURNED 180 DEGREES FROM HIS CURRENT HEADING AND WAS GOING TO LAND AT U76. HE LATER REPORTED THAT HE HAD RESOLVED THE SITUATION WITHOUT LANDING AT U76 AND WAS TURNING AROUND TO CONTINUE TO BOUNTIFUL AIRPARK NEAR SLC. SHORTLY AFTER THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED AN INFLIGHT BREAKUP AND CRASHED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.