What happened
The pilot was engaged in transporting hunters between two different takeoff and landing areas. The first location, known locally as the 'Cub' strip, is a small airfield, while the destination is a larger area known as the '1<0xA0>85' strip. The mission required two separate trips to move both passengers.
After successfully transporting the first hunter, the pilot attempted to return to the 'Cub' strip to pick up the second passenger. However, the aircraft did not complete the return trip. The wreckage was located in a box canyon at an elevation of 5,000 feet. On board the aircraft at the time of the crash were the pilot and the second hunter, resulting in 2 fatalities.
The terrain surrounding the crash site consisted of vertically rising land. The specific area where the impact occurred was approximately 300 feet wide. The wreckage settled on a 15-degree slope, situated below terrain that rose at a 30-degree angle. Due to an 'S' turn within the canyon, the box canyon structure was not identifiable from its entrance, which featured a narrow and consistently rising path.