What happened
The pilot reported that as she approached a mountain pass with an elevation of 5,000 feet, she initiated a climb in an effort to gain sufficient altitude for safe passage. However, the aircraft failed to climb at a rate fast enough to reach the necessary crossing altitude. Consequently, the pilot decided to execute a turn to reverse her direction of travel.
During this maneuver, the aircraft collided with the mountain terrain at an altitude of 3,000 feet. The pilot later stated that she had not previously attempted to fly through this specific pass prior to the incident.
The investigation
No mechanical examination or further investigative findings are detailed in the provided source text regarding the condition of the aircraft or the specific environmental conditions at the time of impact.