What happened
The aircraft approached a private airport from the south. The airport is situated in a valley surrounded by mountains, with the highest peaks located to the east and west of the north/south (36/18) runway. As was customary at this location, the pilot performed a low pass over runway 36 to ensure no livestock were present on the runway.
Following the initial low pass, the pilot climbed straight ahead beyond the rising terrain before entering left traffic. Ground witnesses reported that the aircraft subsequently performed another low pass over the runway. As the aircraft reached the north end of the runway, it entered a sharp climbing turn. After completing approximately 90 degrees of the turn, the aircraft crashed into rising terrain about 1/4 mile northwest of the airport center.
The investigation
An investigation determined that the aircraft impacted the ground in a steep nosedown attitude. Investigators found no evidence of any preexisting mechanical malfunction or failure.