What happened
The pilot was engaged in a cattle herding operation when he identified two cows with their calves situated in a canyon cove. Ground personnel were preparing to leave the area without these animals. To assist, the pilot executed a sharp turn and flew over the location of the livestock to visually indicate their position to riders on the ground.
Following this maneuver, the pilot initiated a climb and began a turn to depart the area. During this phase, the aircraft experienced an uncommanded descent, described by the pilot as simply dropping. As he attempted to recover, the airplane leveled out at a very low altitude. The left wing then struck the ground, causing the aircraft to cartwheel into the canyon terrain before coming to rest upside down.
The crash site was located at an elevation of approximately 4500 feet. The pilot escaped without injury. However, a dog that was aboard the aircraft was killed in the accident.