What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N2052D departed kpvu jan 14th at 4:24PM MST enroute to kgnb. He climbed up to 14,500 and flew east toward grandby. The weather started to deteriorate and he continued to climb. As he climbed through FL180 denver center asked if he was requesting an IFR clearance. The pilot stated that would be great. Denver center then asked if he was IFR equipped and capable. The pilot answered the aircraft is IFR equipped. Denver center then cleared him direct grandby. The pilot was given FL190. Denver center asked the pilot if he could maintain FL190 or if he would need lower. The pilot stated he was in the clouds at FL190. Denver queried the pilot about his flight path because the aircraft was turning and descending. Denver center told the pilot not to descend below 11,000 or he would not be able to talk to him or see him on radar. The pilot responded to the controller but started to sound like he wasn't making sense. The controller queried the pilot a number of times to find out what the pilot was doing. The pilot replied to some of the questions but not all. The controller then lost the aircraft on radar and was unable to receive a response. Denver center then asked another aircraft if he could contact him fearing he was below radar converge. No contact was ever made.
As the FAA filed it
N2052D DEPARTED KPVU JAN 14TH AT 4:24PM MST ENROUTE TO KGNB. HE CLIMBED UP TO 14,500 AND FLEW EAST TOWARD GRANDBY. THE WEATHER STARTED TO DETERIORATE AND HE CONTINUED TO CLIMB. AS HE CLIMBED THROUGH FL180 DENVER CENTER ASKED IF HE WAS REQUESTING AN IFR CLEARANCE. THE PILOT STATED THAT WOULD BE GREAT. DENVER CENTER THEN ASKED IF HE WAS IFR EQUIPPED AND CAPABLE. THE PILOT ANSWERED THE AIRCRAFT IS IFR EQUIPPED. DENVER CENTER THEN CLEARED HIM DIRECT GRANDBY. THE PILOT WAS GIVEN FL190. DENVER CENTER ASKED THE PILOT IF HE COULD MAINTAIN FL190 OR IF HE WOULD NEED LOWER. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS IN THE CLOUDS AT FL190. DENVER QUERIED THE PILOT ABOUT HIS FLIGHT PATH BECAUSE THE AIRCRAFT WAS TURNING AND DESCENDING. DENVER CENTER TOLD THE PILOT NOT TO DESCEND BELOW 11,000 OR HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TALK TO HIM OR SEE HIM ON RADAR. THE PILOT RESPONDED TO THE CONTROLLER BUT STARTED TO SOUND LIKE HE WASN'T MAKING SENSE. THE CONTROLLER QUERIED THE PILOT A NUMBER OF TIMES TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PILOT WAS DOING. THE PILOT REPLIED TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS BUT NOT ALL. THE CONTROLLER THEN LOST THE AIRCRAFT ON RADAR AND WAS UNABLE TO RECEIVE A RESPONSE. DENVER CENTER THEN ASKED ANOTHER AIRCRAFT IF HE COULD CONTACT HIM FEARING HE WAS BELOW RADAR CONVERGE. NO CONTACT WAS EVER MADE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.