Title: ALBUQUERQUE (ABQ) AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER (ARTCC) LOST R
Report Date: 01/17
Plane Crash Problem: On January 8, 2003, about 1220 mountain standard time, Albuquerque (ABQ) Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) lost radar and radio contact with a Piper PA-23-250, N135LA, near Flagstaff (FLG), Arizona. The Cowboy Church of the American West was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The airplane is missing and presumed to be destroyed; the private pilot and three passengers are presumed to have sustained fatal injuries. The personal cross-country flight departed Boulder City (61B), Nevada, en route to Midland, Texas. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at Flagstaff (FLG), and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported the sequence of events. ABQ Center was providing the airplane with flight following. The pilot stated that he couldn't get out of the clouds and he was unable to maintain visual flight rules (VFR). ABQ provided vectors to the Flagstaff airport. The pilot switched to the Flagstaff air traffic control tower (ATCT) and reported having the airport in sight. The pilot then reported that he had lost sight of the airport.
The pilot returned to ABQ Center's frequency and requested an instrument flight rules (IFR) clearance. ABQ provided the pilot with an IFR clearance to climb and hold at the Flagstaff VOR (very high frequency omni-directional radio range), and the pilot acknowledged the clearance. That was the last transmission ABQ heard from the pilot, and then the controller lost radar contact.
The FAA issued an alert notice (ALNOT). The Civil Air Patrol initiated search mission number 03M0053A.
A routine aviation weather report (METAR) for FLG was issued at 1210 MST. It stated: skies 1,500 feet overcast; visibility 10 miles; winds calm; temperature 39 degrees Fahrenheit; dew point 31 degrees Fahrenheit; altimeter 30.23 InHg.
See FAA Cause of plane crash
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