What happened
A recently certificated commercial pilot was participating in a junior college flying team orientation session, which included a practice safety and flight evaluation conference. The pilot was accompanied by two student passengers during the flight.
Following the conclusion of the event, several aircraft departed under VFR flight conditions, all traveling toward the same destination. To reach this destination through mountainous terrain, various routes were utilized. Three specific canyon-type routes provided a more direct course; each of these canyons featured a road running through the center of the canyon floor. According to the sectional chart, only the preferred route—which offered the lowest terrain—was depicted with a road.
After takeoff, the accident aircraft followed a road that led into a canyon situated immediately north of the preferred route. As the flight progressed, this canyon gradually narrowed until it terminated in an abrupt rise in terrain, forming a box canyon. The wreckage was located approximately 2,000 feet below the crest of the surrounding terrain.