Introduction
On the morning of the accident, the second pilot obtained topographical charts of the area where the aircraft eventually crashed. The location was mountainous terrain in Montana. A witness observed the aircraft flying east across the mountains at a low altitude. The aircraft suddenly dropped out of sight, and smoke was subsequently seen rising from the area.
Background
Both pilots were reportedly avid bighorn sheep hunters. The area where the crash occurred was one where the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) had recently relocated a herd of bighorn sheep. The second pilot was a recently retired FWP regional supervisor who had been in charge of sheep herd relocations.
Accident Site
Evidence from the site indicated that the aircraft struck the east wall of Bund Gulch, a canyon approximately 7,300 feet high. The impact occurred at about the 7,250-foot level. The aircraft was in a nose-high, left-wing-low attitude at the time of impact. The carburetor throttle valve was found fully open, and the propeller showed evidence of rotation at impact.
Investigation
No evidence was found to indicate any pre-impact failure or malfunction of the aircraft. Winds aloft were forecast to be from the north-northwest at 14 to 15 knots. The investigation concluded that the aircraft was under power at the time of the collision with terrain.