Accident Overview
The airplane, piloted by an instrument-rated private pilot, was destroyed upon impact with terrain. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot was fatally injured. No flight plan was on file. A witness reported dropping the pilot off at the departure airport for his return flight on June 3, 2003, at about 0730 mountain daylight time, but did not observe the airplane depart. There was no record of a weather briefing for the accident flight. The flight was reported missing when it did not return.
Pilot Information
The pilot held an instrument rating and a private pilot certificate. He possessed an expired third-class medical certificate with no limitations. His logbook recorded an instrument proficiency check on October 11, 2000, and a flight review on June 12, 2002. The logbook showed 2.4 hours of actual instrument flight time logged on October 13, 2000, and 0.4 hours of simulated instrument flight time logged on June 12, 2002.
Aircraft and Impact
The airplane had a total time and hobbs time of 2,190.7 hours at the time of its last annual inspection. The impact was nearly vertical. The fuselage was crushed in an accordion-like fashion, with the empennage resting on top of the cabin area. The Hobbs meter read 2,224.5 hours on scene. Flight controls were taken to the coroner's office and were not reviewed on scene.
Weather and Radar Data
The indicated weather along a direct course was moderate to heavy rain around the time of the accident. Recorded National Track Analysis Program (NTAP) radar data of a flight in the area of the accident site was plotted. The track of the flight was southeast. NTAP data showed that at 1434:45Z, the flight began a climb from a pressure altitude of 5,600 feet to 7,700 feet at 1439:33Z. The flight's altitude varied between 7,600 and 7,700 feet pressure altitude until 1442:09Z. The remaining data points exhibited a pattern in the shape of a descending spiral.
Engine Examination
The engine was disassembled. The crankshaft exhibited a separation on the cheek between the fifth and sixth journals. Engine controls were traced from the cockpit to the engine. Both magnetos produced spark when rotated by hand.