What happened
Following the acquisition of an aircraft, the pilot and a friend who held a pilot rating departed Falcon Field in Mesa, Arizona. They were joined by the pilot's wife for a flight intended to reach Minnesota. The group made an overnight stop in Alamosa, Colorado, which sits at an elevation of 7,608 feet mean sea level (MSL). The next morning, the trio departed Alamosa and flew over the Great Sand Dunes National Monument before entering Medano Pass.
The aircraft crashed in visual meteorological conditions at approximately the 10,000-foot level, located about 30 miles from Alamosa. The terrain in this area rises rapidly at an angle of roughly 20 degrees. At the time of the accident, the pressure altitude was computed to be 7,238 feet MSL at Alamosa and 9,630 feet MSL at the crash site. The aircraft's rate of climb was calculated to be 195 feet per minute at takeoff and only 70 feet per minute at the time of impact.
The aircraft was under its maximum gross weight and within center of gravity limits both at takeoff and upon impact. Shortly after the collision with the terrain, the aircraft caught fire. The fire was fueled by cans of flammable liquids stored in the baggage compartment.