Incident Overview
The airplane disappeared while traveling from Santa Fe to Angel Fire, New Mexico. The pilot did not obtain a weather briefing nor file a flight plan prior to departure. The wreckage was discovered three days later in mountainous terrain at an elevation of 10,700 feet.
Witness Report
A witness informed search and rescue personnel of having observed a low-wing airplane "flying in and out of the cloud bottoms" in the area and at approximately the time of the accident.
Weather and Radar Data
A meteorological study indicated moderate to severe turbulence associated with mountain wave activity, along with marginal visual flight rules conditions in the mountains. Radar data showed that in the minutes before the accident, the airplane's altitude varied between 11,700 and 13,100 feet. Ground speed ranged from a low of 64 knots to a high of 270 knots. Vertical speed fluctuated between +4,800 and -6,000 feet per minute (80 to -100 feet per second). At one point, the airplane completed a full 360-degree circle.