What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 24, 2021, at 0021 MDT, N74786, a Mooney aircraft company model M20B, single engine airplane, privacy data omitted, was on a cross country flight from fst, fort stockton, TX to tuc, tucson, AZ under instrument flight rules when it impacted the ground at a low speed and low rate of descent. After encountering instrument meteorological weather and rime ice south of lsb, Lordsburg, NM, the private instrument rated pilot informed abq air route traffic control (zab) that he was icing and losing engine power. The last clearance provided by zab to N74786 was vectors to lsb. A few minutes after making a turn to the northeast, the aircraft disappeared from the radar scopes at zab. The pilot and his passenger were seriously injured and the aircraft was destroyed.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 24, 2021, AT 0021 MDT, N74786, A MOONEY AIRCRAFT COMPANY MODEL M20B, SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM FST, FORT STOCKTON, TX TO TUC, TUCSON, AZ UNDER INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES WHEN IT IMPACTED THE GROUND AT A LOW SPEED AND LOW RATE OF DESCENT. AFTER ENCOUNTERING INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL WEATHER AND RIME ICE SOUTH OF LSB, LORDSBURG, NM, THE PRIVATE INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT INFORMED ABQ AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL (ZAB) THAT HE WAS ICING AND LOSING ENGINE POWER. THE LAST CLEARANCE PROVIDED BY ZAB TO N74786 WAS VECTORS TO LSB. A FEW MINUTES AFTER MAKING A TURN TO THE NORTHEAST, THE AIRCRAFT DISAPPEARED FROM THE RADAR SCOPES AT ZAB. THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED AND 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.