December 3, 2011, Silverton, Colo., Socata TB21 Turbocharged Trinidad

The airplane collided with terrain at about 1335 Mountain time. The non-instrument-rated private pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. Instrument conditions prevailed; no flight plan had been filed. The pilot contacted ATC while at 20,000 feet to request flight following and reported he could not descend and maintain VFR. Moments later, the airplane disappeared from radar and contact with the pilot was lost. There were no reported distress calls from the pilot.

Editorial Staff

Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A non-instrument-rated private pilot and three passengers were fatally injured when their airplane crashed in prevailing instrument conditions.
The pilot contacted ATC at 20,000 feet, reporting an inability to descend under VFR, before losing radar contact and disappearing without making distress calls.
Witnesses described poor visibility and heard the airplane performing unusual maneuvers, suggesting the pilot was disoriented before impacting snow-covered mountainous terrain.

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The pilot contacted ATC while at 20,000 feet to request flight following and reported he could not descend and maintain VFR. Moments later, the airplane disappeared from radar and contact with the pilot was lost. There were no reported distress calls from the pilot.