What happened
Two private pilots were conducting a local personal flight over mountainous terrain. The first pilot elected to fly into a canyon. While flying upslope in the canyon the pilot reported encountering a downdraft. Unable to execute a 180 turn the pilot elected to crash in a nose up, slow airspeed, attitude.
The investigation
The aircraft was examined and found to be consistent with the reported crash dynamics. No mechanical failures were identified that would have prevented normal operation.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to fly into a canyon where he encountered a downdraft. The pilot was unable to execute a 180 turn and elected to crash in a nose up, slow airspeed, attitude.