Incident Overview
An aircraft on a mineral exploration flight was involved in an accident near Hoodoo Peak. The pilot reported that the low sun on the horizon cast long shadows across the terrain, which may have affected visibility. While flying in the vicinity of Hoodoo Peak, the pilot realized he had allowed the aircraft to enter a box canyon. The pilot determined that there was insufficient horizontal space to turn the aircraft around. Additionally, the pilot was unable to continue climbing over the rising terrain ahead.
Sequence of Events
Faced with these constraints, the pilot elected to land on the rising, wooded terrain. The aircraft initially impacted trees, which decelerated its forward motion. After the initial contact with the trees, the aircraft settled to the ground on its left side. The elevation of the crash site was approximately 5,500 feet.
Terrain and Landing
The terrain at the landing site was characterized as rising and wooded. The aircraft's descent and subsequent impact with the trees absorbed much of the aircraft's kinetic energy before it came to rest on its left side. No further information about the aircraft's condition or any injuries was provided in the investigative source.