What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On November 26, 2011, at 0913 MDT, N9408X, a Cessna model CE-182-R, single engine airplane, registered to jd & kat, ltd, was on a cross country flight from snk, snyder, TX to srr, ruidoso, NM under visual flight rules when it impacted the ground at a high speed and high rate of descent. After encountering marginal visual or instrument meteorological weather west of row, roswell, NM, the non-instrument rated private pilot informed row approach control (row app) that he intended to loiter southwest of row for a few minutes, until he determined whether to attempt another visual approach into srr or whether to divert to and make a precautionary landing at row. A few minutes later, the pilot announced his intension to resume the visual flight to srr. Eight minutes after row app released the aircraft and asked the pilot to "squawk VFR", the radar returns for the aircraft disappeared from the radar scopes at row app and albuquerque center (zab). Because the aircraft was released and no flight plan was filed, the aircraft was not reported missing or overdue to Lockheed martin flight service until November 29, 2011, at approximately 1455 CST. The wreckage was located at approximately 0930 MST on November 30, 2011, in mountainous terrain on the Mescalero apache reservation, east northeast of Mescalero, NM. The pilot and the passenger died. The aircraft was destroyed.
As the FAA filed it
ON NOVEMBER 26, 2011, AT 0913 MDT, N9408X, A CESSNA MODEL CE-182-R, SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE, REGISTERED TO JD & KAT, LTD, WAS ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM SNK, SNYDER, TX TO SRR, RUIDOSO, NM UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES WHEN IT IMPACTED THE GROUND AT A HIGH SPEED AND HIGH RATE OF DESCENT. AFTER ENCOUNTERING MARGINAL VISUAL OR INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL WEATHER WEST OF ROW, ROSWELL, NM, THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT INFORMED ROW APPROACH CONTROL (ROW APP) THAT HE INTENDED TO LOITER SOUTHWEST OF ROW FOR A FEW MINUTES, UNTIL HE DETERMINED WHETHER TO ATTEMPT ANOTHER VISUAL APPROACH INTO SRR OR WHETHER TO DIVERT TO AND MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AT ROW. A FEW MINUTES LATER, THE PILOT ANNOUNCED HIS INTENSION TO RESUME THE VISUAL FLIGHT TO SRR. EIGHT MINUTES AFTER ROW APP RELEASED THE AIRCRAFT AND ASKED THE PILOT TO "SQUAWK VFR", THE RADAR RETURNS FOR THE AIRCRAFT DISAPPEARED FROM THE RADAR SCOPES AT ROW APP AND ALBUQUERQUE CENTER (ZAB). BECAUSE THE AIRCRAFT WAS RELEASED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED, THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT REPORTED MISSING OR OVERDUE TO LOCKHEED MARTIN FLIGHT SERVICE UNTIL NOVEMBER 29, 2011, AT APPROXIMATELY 1455 CST. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED AT APPROXIMATELY 0930 MST ON NOVEMBER 30, 2011, IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN ON THE MESCALERO APACHE RESERVATION, EAST NORTHEAST OF MESCALERO, NM. THE PILOT AND THE PASSENGER DIED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.