Pilot Reported Icing Before Contact Was Lost

Local authorities and federal investigators believe weather played a role in the fatal downing of a Cirrus SR20 Friday afternoon near the Colorado/Wyoming border.

Authorities identified the two victims onboard the plane as furniture designers Sergio Savarese, and Ivan Luini. Family and friends of the victims say the two men owned the aircraft, and were returning to New York from a business trip in California.

Moffat County Sheriff Department Sergeant Rick Holford told the Associated Press the crash occurred about 2:30 pm. Friday near Rock Springs, WY. It was raining at the time the plane went down, with strong wind gusts also reported.

In its preliminary report (below), the FAA states the planes pilot reported icing conditions shortly before radar contact was lost.

Wreckage from the plane was scattered over a two-mile area, said Holford. An oil crew working nearby saw the accident, and called authorities.

It is not yet known if the two men attempted to deploy the Cirrus' parachute recovery system.

**   Report created 9/18/2006   Record 1
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IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 787SL        Make/Model: SR20      Description: SR-20
  Date: 09/15/2006     Time: 1933

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: ROCK SPRINGS   State: WY   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  ACFT REPORTED ENCOUNTERING ICING CONDITIONS, RADAR AND RADIO COMMUNICATIONS
  WERE LOST,  ALERT NOTICE ISSUED AND WRECKAGE LOCATED, THE TWO PERSONS ON
  BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, ROCK SPRINGS, WY

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   2
                 # Crew:   2     Fat:   2     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER

  Departed: PROVO, UT                   Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination: LINCOLN, NE              Flt Plan: IFR          Wx Briefing: 
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: CASPER, WY  (NM04)                    Entry date: 09/18/2006

FMI: www.faa.gov