Accident Overview
A pilot departed from Sedona Airport (elevation 4,827 feet) for a 21-mile northbound flight to Flagstaff. No flight plan had been filed. The departure occurred under dark night conditions, with no ground lights visible in the direction of flight. The area forecast had called for VFR to MVFR conditions, with occasional visibility reducing to 3 to 5 miles in mist. The 700 mb constant pressure chart (approximately 10,000 feet MSL) indicated northwesterly winds of about 25 knots over Flagstaff. The pilot checked the weather multiple times before departure.
Accident Details
After takeoff, the aircraft flew a direct route to Flagstaff. It subsequently struck the leeward side of a ridge with an elevation of 6,100 feet. The point of impact was at about the 5,952-foot level. The crash site was located at a bearing of 019 degrees and 4.3 miles from the Sedona airport.
Environmental Conditions
Given the wind direction and the mountainous terrain near the accident site, the prevailing northwesterly winds would have created downslope wind conditions over the area where the aircraft impacted the ridge.