Incident Description
A witness observed an aircraft take off from a runway situated near a river in mountainous terrain. The witness reported that the aircraft entered a steep climb immediately after departure. While still climbing, the aircraft performed a 180-degree "U-turn," which the witness described as a wing-over maneuver. Following this turn, the aircraft headed directly toward the ground. It subsequently struck trees and crashed on uneven terrain, after which it was engulfed in flames. The impact heading was nearly perpendicular to the direction of the runway. The elevation at the crash site was measured at approximately 4,730 feet, compared to the airport elevation of 4,701 feet.
Investigation Findings
Investigators examined the wreckage for signs of mechanical failure. No evidence of preimpact part failure or malfunction was found in any aircraft system. However, the elevator trim cable was discovered to be stretched in a nose-up (tab down) direction, indicating that the trim was set to a nose-up position at the time of impact. The operator of the aircraft had previously suspended one of its pilots on March 5, 1990, for performing a similar maneuver. That incident involved inadvertently entering a box canyon at low altitude.