Flight History
The airplane departed Carson City, Nevada, on April 26, 1998, and was en route to Las Cruces, New Mexico. Radar data indicates it maintained an altitude of 13,500 feet msl with an average ground speed of 185 knots for most of the flight.
Radar Data
As the aircraft approached the Arizona-New Mexico border, it descended at an average rate of 669 feet per minute, with a ground speed of 209 knots. The last radar contact was recorded 13 miles west of Springerville, Arizona, at an altitude of 10,500 feet msl.
Wreckage Location
On September 13, 1998, the wreckage was located at the 8,700-foot level of the Sawtooth Mountains, approximately 2.5 miles east of Pie Town, New Mexico. This position was about 75 miles east of the last point of radar contact. Witness marks on the terrain indicated that the aircraft collided with vertical terrain while in a wings-level attitude.
Weather Conditions
On the day of the accident, convective activity was forecast for the area. Satellite photos showed extensive cloud cover in the region at the time.