Accident Narrative
According to the pilot, he crossed Ruby Mountain at 9,900 ft mean sea level. After crossing, he reported encountering light rain and downdrafts of 500 ft per minute. He stated that he flew into rotor winds and had difficulty keeping the wings level. He reported that there was insufficient altitude to reverse course, so he selected the only available place to land, a sloping, rocky meadow. During the landing roll, the nosewheel struck a rock and the aircraft went over onto its top. The pilot strongly emphasized that the use of shoulder harnesses prevented him and his passenger (his wife) from receiving injuries.
Witness Account
At approximately the same time, another pilot was giving instructions on mountain flying in a Cessna 172. He was flying about 15 miles south of the accident site. According to him, the air was very unstable and there were thunderstorms in the area. He reported that his climb rate never exceeded 100 ft per minute, except in updrafts on the windward side of the ridges.
Site Information
The elevation of the crash site was approximately 8,200 ft.