What happened
At dusk, the pilot contacted Cheyenne approach control to report being 24 miles north of the airport for landing. Air traffic control advised the pilot of an active thunderstorm in the vicinity of the airport, specifically spanning from the north through the northeast and moving north. This weather included occasional lightning from clouds to the ground, and a previous aircraft had reported experiencing severe turbulence. The pilot acknowledged this information, but no further communication was received from the aircraft.
Following the loss of contact, the aircraft was reported missing. Responding personnel, following an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal, encountered extremely low ceilings at the site. The next morning, wreckage was located approximately 15 miles north of Cheyenne Airport.
The investigation
The investigation determined that the airplane had impacted gently rising terrain. The debris field consisted of a 610-foot long pattern oriented on a southeasterly heading. Investigators identified slash marks from both propellers, which began at the initial point of ground impact. No preimpact malfunction of the aircraft was discovered.
Findings
Testing of samples taken from the pilot's remains showed positive results for three over-the-counter medications. While one of these medications is not approved for use while operating an aircraft, the concentrations detected were too low to be quantified.