Accident Overview
A pilot and his wife were traveling from Palm Springs, California, to Olathe, Kansas. They made a fuel stop in Farmington, New Mexico. After departing Farmington, the aircraft was cleared to flight level 210 (FL210).
Pilot Reports and Communication
At 1934 hours, the pilot provided a pilot report (PIREP) to Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC), stating: "There's been some snow but I've been mostly in and out of the tops. Looks like I got clear skies above me most of the time...and it is moderately rough from time to time."
At 2045 hours, Kansas City ARTCC advised the pilot that he was at FL213. The pilot acknowledged that he had drifted off altitude and was correcting, and reported heading 060 degrees. Two minutes later, at 2047 hours, the controller informed the pilot that he was at FL203. The pilot replied, "We've had a gyro failure."
Loss of Radar Contact and Impact
At 2049 hours, radar contact with the aircraft was lost. The aircraft impacted an open field in a near-vertical attitude.
Investigation Findings
Examination of the wreckage found no evidence of airframe, engine, propeller, or flight control failure prior to impact. Only one vacuum pump was recovered. The instrument panel and autopilot system were destroyed.