Incident Overview
An aircraft crashed on a planned flight to a prearranged airport, where the pilot and passengers were scheduled to meet another aircraft at 2100 hours for a campout prior to a river rafting trip. The accident occurred at 2110 hours after the pilot attempted to land at a different airport located 13 miles beyond the intended destination.
Airport Confusion
Both the destination airport and the mistaken airport were situated on the same VOR radial, separated by 13 miles. The mistaken airport was 1,300 feet higher in elevation and located in mountainous terrain.
Pilot and Passenger Information
The pilot in command held a medical certificate with a restriction against night flight. The official sunset occurred at 1950 hours, meaning the flight was conducted after dark. A passenger who held a pilot rating was also on board but was not qualified in the accident aircraft and was not current for night operations.
Accident Details
No further information about the aircraft, registration, operator, or occupant status has been reported.