Accident Overview
Approximately 20 minutes after departure from Tucson, Arizona, en route to Las Cruces, New Mexico, the aircraft crashed under visual meteorological conditions. The accident site was located about 26 miles along the route, near a railroad, an interstate highway, and the Old Tucson movie set.
Impact Sequence
The initial impact occurred when the left wing struck the top of a yucca plant while the aircraft was in a slight nose-down, left-wing-low attitude. Immediately following, the aircraft contacted the ground and skidded about 90 feet before striking a scrub tree and coming to rest. The aircraft sustained extensive damage.
Cockpit Controls Examination
Post-crash examination revealed the throttle was set to idle, the mixture was at idle-cutoff, the carburetor heat was off, and the flaps were extended 10 degrees.
Mechanical Investigation
No preimpact mechanical problem was found. An operational check of the engine demonstrated normal operation. No witnesses to the accident were located.
Photographic Evidence
A camera discovered at the scene contained film exposed on a previous flight. After development, the film revealed in-flight photographs of a truck and a train taken near ground level. The train in the photos was identified, and its crew recalled seeing an aircraft making low passes over the train earlier that day, coinciding with the pilot's previous flight.
Pilot Information
Individuals acquainted with the pilot reported that he had spoken about "dive bombing" semi-trucks and trains, flying under phone lines, landing after intentional fuel exhaustion, and making a landing in the desert.