Flight Planning
At 0444, the pilot requested a weather briefing for a flight from Cheyenne, Wyoming, to Lovelock, Nevada. Before departing Cheyenne at 0630, the fixed-base operator informed the pilot that the Lovelock airport was flooded. The pilot responded that he would land at a strip in town. Fuel receipts showed the aircraft was refueled on May 4, 1984, at Rawlings, Wyoming; Evanston, Wyoming; Wendover, Utah; and Winnemucca, Nevada.
Arrival and Descent
At about 2030, the owner of the private strip heard the aircraft fly overhead and activated a red beacon atop his residence. He observed the aircraft pass over the strip at approximately 200 feet above ground level, traveling east, with sounds of reduced power. He saw the aircraft's lights initiate an apparent left turn, then plunge toward the ground.
Impact
Witnesses saw the aircraft impact in a steep descent. An investigation found no preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure. A toxicological test of the pilot's blood revealed a low level of carbon monoxide (8%). A witness estimated the wind at the time was from 250 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 20 knots. The aircraft had landed at this strip several weeks prior to the accident.