Incident Overview
During a flight, a student pilot flew into the west face of the Sandia Mountains at approximately the 9,000-foot level. Prior to the collision, the pilot contacted Albuquerque Approach Control and stated that he was flying eastbound over the Rio Grande River and was proceeding into the west side of the mountains. He requested that his friend in Missouri be called and provided the telephone number, as well as spelling the names of his friend and himself.
Controller Interaction
When the controller inquired about the nature of the problem, the pilot did not specify. No further information was provided regarding the reason for the request or the flight's circumstances.
Subsequent Findings
A suicide note was later discovered at the pilot's home. Friends reported that the pilot had been very despondent since his separation from his wife in March 1989.