What happened
The pilot reported that the engine ceased producing power, resulting in a crash in mountainous terrain. The initial impact occurred with a tree at an elevation of approximately 7,000 feet MSL. A piece of the right wing tip was located near this initial impact point. After traveling about 270 feet down a 20 to 25-degree slope, the trailing edge of the left wing struck the base of a second tree. The aircraft came to rest after traveling an additional 135 feet down a 10-degree slope.
The investigation
A teardown of the engine revealed no pre-impact failure. The nearest official weather observation was at Elko, Nevada, which was about 16 miles northeast of the crash site. The elevation of the Elko Municipal Airport is 5,135 feet MSL. Weather observations at 1153 and 1254 MST indicated estimated cloud layers of 800 feet broken, 1,200 feet broken, and 5,500 feet overcast, with 10 miles visibility.
Findings
The engine failure occurred without mechanical evidence prior to impact. The aircraft encountered mountainous terrain at high elevation. Weather conditions near the crash site were not directly observed but were inferred from nearby Elko reports.