What happened
The aircraft was dispatched to an airport 70 miles from its home base to retrieve a stranded flightcrew. Upon arrival, heavy fog had formed in the area, preventing a landing. The pilot circled the airport above the fog layer but remained unable to descend through the obscuration.
Following the period of circling, the aircraft was heard traveling eastbound until the engine noise ceased. An ELT signal was subsequently detected by another aircraft on the 290 degree radial, located 19 miles from the Milsap VOR. There were no eyewitnesses to the event.
The wreckage was discovered the following morning on the eastern ledge of a north-south oriented granite ridgeline. The hill rises approximately 200 feet above the surrounding terrain. The debris field spanned 270 feet on a heading of 240 degrees.
The investigation
Analysis of the initial point of impact indicated that the aircraft contacted trees and terrain while in controlled flight. At the time of impact, the airplane was in a slight left wing down attitude. Investigators established continuity of all flight controls. Both the landing gear and the flaps were found in the retracted position.