Accident Overview
A pilot reported that during a pleasure flight north of Flagstaff, Arizona, he encountered rising terrain and recognized a need for more altitude. In response, he turned the aircraft toward a downhill direction. However, the aircraft subsequently collided with tree tops when the pilot was unable to maintain adequate airspeed and clearance from the terrain. The aircraft was later reported missing, prompting a search. The pilot, who was seriously injured, and the aircraft were located the following morning. The crash site elevation was approximately 9,000 feet.
Investigation Details
During the investigation, investigators found that the pilot had scratched personal notes to his family that included the message 'low plus slow, stalled & spin.' The official report noted the pilot's account of the sequence of events leading to the crash, but did not explicitly assign a probable cause. The terrain and altitude conditions were documented as factors in the accident sequence.