What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N989TT impacted the terrain about 5 miles northwest of Milford, UT. The pilot was killed in the accident and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The flight was from grand junction, Colorado to torrance, California. The airplane was being operated in VMC on top of an area where IMC conditions prevailed. The pilot had filed and activated a VFR flight plan. The pilot was in radio contact with salt lake air route traffic control center. Near Milford, the pilot made a radio transmission stating that he was having engine troubles. The pilot asked for vectors to a nearby airport. The controller provided him with weather information for the nearby airports. At that time the pilot elected to go to saint george, Utah. Shortly after being vectored towards saint george the pilot reported he was losing control of the airplane. About a minute after that transmission, the pilot reported that he had the airplane stabilized. The controller then gave the pilot another vector to saint george and asked if the pilot was in the clouds. The pilot began a transmission in response, but the transmission was cut short. As stated by controllers, the aircraft then indicated that the airplane was in a rapid descent toward the terrain.
As the FAA filed it
N989TT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN ABOUT 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF MILFORD, UT. THE PILOT WAS KILLED IN THE ACCIDENT AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE FLIGHT WAS FROM GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO TO TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED IN VMC ON TOP OF AN AREA WHERE IMC CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE PILOT HAD FILED AND ACTIVATED A VFR FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT WAS IN RADIO CONTACT WITH SALT LAKE AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER. NEAR MILFORD, THE PILOT MADE A RADIO TRANSMISSION STATING THAT HE WAS HAVING ENGINE TROUBLES. THE PILOT ASKED FOR VECTORS TO A NEARBY AIRPORT. THE CONTROLLER PROVIDED HIM WITH WEATHER INFORMATION FOR THE NEARBY AIRPORTS. AT THAT TIME THE PILOT ELECTED TO GO TO SAINT GEORGE, UTAH. SHORTLY AFTER BEING VECTORED TOWARDS SAINT GEORGE THE PILOT REPORTED HE WAS LOSING CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. ABOUT A MINUTE AFTER THAT TRANSMISSION, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD THE AIRPLANE STABILIZED. THE CONTROLLER THEN GAVE THE PILOT ANOTHER VECTOR TO SAINT GEORGE AND ASKED IF THE PILOT WAS IN THE CLOUDS. THE PILOT BEGAN A TRANSMISSION IN RESPONSE, BUT THE TRANSMISSION WAS CUT SHORT. AS STATED BY CONTROLLERS, THE AIRCRAFT THEN INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS IN A RAPID DESCENT TOWARD THE TERRAIN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.