What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 07/22/2022, privacy data omitted, an RV9A, departed greeley-weld county airport Colorado (gxy) VFR for cherokee county regional airport IA (ckp) at approximately 0630 MDT. No flight plan was filed and the pilot had requested VFR flight following.
According to information on the aircraft accident/incident preliminary notice from denver ARTCC, at approximately 0830 CDT, the pilot reported he had encountered IMC conditions, and attempted to climb to VFR conditions above. The aircraft was seen on radar descending and then radar and communications with the aircraft was lost.
It appears that during the maneuvers above, northeast of Tryon NE, the aircraft began an in-flight break-up. Upon accessing the site, the debris field was approximately 1 ½ miles long. The first pieces located were from the empennage. The aircraft came to rest inverted in a field near a home. Both occupants were found under the wreckage deceased. There was evidence of a small fire under the aircraft.
The right wing was still somewhat attached to the fuselage, the left wing had separated in pieces along the debris field. The aircraft was totally destroyed.
As the FAA filed it
ON 07/22/2022, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AN RV9A, DEPARTED GREELEY-WELD COUNTY AIRPORT COLORADO (GXY) VFR FOR CHEROKEE COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT IA (CKP) AT APPROXIMATELY 0630 MDT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED AND THE PILOT HAD REQUESTED VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING.
ACCORDING TO INFORMATION ON THE AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT/INCIDENT PRELIMINARY NOTICE FROM DENVER ARTCC, AT APPROXIMATELY 0830 CDT, THE PILOT REPORTED HE HAD ENCOUNTERED IMC CONDITIONS, AND ATTEMPTED TO CLIMB TO VFR CONDITIONS ABOVE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SEEN ON RADAR DESCENDING AND THEN RADAR AND COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOST.
IT APPEARS THAT DURING THE MANEUVERS ABOVE, NORTHEAST OF TRYON NE, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN AN IN-FLIGHT BREAK-UP. UPON ACCESSING THE SITE, THE DEBRIS FIELD WAS APPROXIMATELY 1 ½ MILES LONG. THE FIRST PIECES LOCATED WERE FROM THE EMPENNAGE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST INVERTED IN A FIELD NEAR A HOME. BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE FOUND UNDER THE WRECKAGE DECEASED. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF A SMALL FIRE UNDER THE AIRCRAFT.
THE RIGHT WING WAS STILL SOMEWHAT ATTACHED TO THE FUSELAGE, THE LEFT WING HAD SEPARATED IN PIECES ALONG THE DEBRIS FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOTALLY 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.