What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot and 3 non-rated friends departed ksgu at approximatley 01:15 to 01:20 MDT. The aircraft appeared to remain low to the runway 19 until near the end. Surveillance cameras showed the nav lights blinking at a constant altitude for basically the length of RWY19 then there appears to be an abrupt vertical climb. The aircraft disappears from view for a few seconds and then it catches one flash of a nav light appearing to coming down vertical. The wreckage was not discovered until approximately 05:30 MDT by airport security. The impact area was approximatelty a few hundred feet past the end of the paved rwy and basically on an extended rwy centerline. The wreckage and impact marks indicated a vertical nose down impact. The pilot and 3 passengers were fatal. There was no flight plan filed and no UNICOM or ATC recordings were discovered.a through reconstruction of the use of the aircraft and the fuel on-board indicated 30 to 35 gals on-board. The combined weight of the 4 occupants and the fuel on-board indicated the aircraft was approximatley 160 to 165 lbs over the approved gross weight of 2,550 lbs.a through inspection of the wreckage did not reveal any mechanical failure or control issues.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT AND 3 NON-RATED FRIENDS DEPARTED KSGU AT APPROXIMATLEY 01:15 TO 01:20 MDT. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO REMAIN LOW TO THE RUNWAY 19 UNTIL NEAR THE END. SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS SHOWED THE NAV LIGHTS BLINKING AT A CONSTANT ALTITUDE FOR BASICALLY THE LENGTH OF RWY19 THEN THERE APPEARS TO BE AN ABRUPT VERTICAL CLIMB. THE AIRCRAFT DISAPPEARS FROM VIEW FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN IT CATCHES ONE FLASH OF A NAV LIGHT APPEARING TO COMING DOWN VERTICAL. THE WRECKAGE WAS NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 05:30 MDT BY AIRPORT SECURITY. THE IMPACT AREA WAS APPROXIMATELTY A FEW HUNDRED FEET PAST THE END OF THE PAVED RWY AND BASICALLY ON AN EXTENDED RWY CENTERLINE. THE WRECKAGE AND IMPACT MARKS INDICATED A VERTICAL NOSE DOWN IMPACT. THE PILOT AND 3 PASSENGERS WERE FATAL.THERE WAS NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED AND NO UNICOM OR ATC RECORDINGS WERE DISCOVERED.A THROUGH RECONSTRUCTION OF THE USE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE FUEL ON-BOARD INDICATED 30 TO 35 GALS ON-BOARD. THE COMBINED WEIGHT OF THE 4 OCCUPANTS AND THE FUEL ON-BOARD INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATLEY 160 TO 165 LBS OVER THE APPROVED GROSS WEIGHT OF 2,550 LBS.A THROUGH INSPECTION OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT REVEAL ANY MECHANICAL FAILURE OR CONTROL ISSUES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.