What happened
A student pilot, who lacked the necessary qualifications to operate the aircraft, conducted a multi-leg flight from Pennsylvania to Colorado to retrieve a recently purchased airplane. The flight began in Pennsylvania at 0719, involving several intermediate stops, before arriving at the departure airport at 1949. During one of the en route stops, the right engine of the aircraft type reportedly failed during taxi operations. Witnesses also noted that the pilot had been managing low fuel levels and was experiencing significant fatigue.
Radar data tracked the aircraft departing from Fort Collins, Colorado, where it began a climb to 16,000 ft. The flight path moved west/southwest for approximately 40 miles, during which the aircraft reached an altitude of roughly 22,000 ft. The aircraft then underwent several significant changes in both heading and altitude, oscillating between 20,000 ft and 23,000 ft. Following these maneuvers, the aircraft entered a tight left-hand loop and experienced a rapid loss of altitude before radar contact was lost.
The wreckage was distributed along a path indicating a high-speed, low-angle impact with the ground. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft. Investigators recovered an oxygen tank that had separated from the airframe, though the operational status of the oxygen system prior to the crash could not be verified due to impact damage.
Findings
Several regulatory and operational issues were noted during the flight. The pilot did not maintain communications with air traffic control while flying from the departure airport and failed to obtain the required instrument flight rules clearance for operating within class A airspace. Additionally, the aircraft lacked the required automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast equipment necessary for class A airspace operations. While the specific reason for the impact with the terrain remains undetermined, the pilot's lack of qualification and the observed flight maneuvers were key elements of the event.