The Incident
Two aircraft were flying in a two-aircraft formation, with one designated as the lead and the other as the wingman. The flight did not arrive at its intended destination, prompting a search operation. Both aircraft were subsequently located on a mountain slope at an elevation of 5,300 feet mean sea level (MSL). The lead aircraft struck the slope approximately 250 feet below a ridgeline. The wingman was found about 220 feet further up the same slope, offset 30 feet to the right of the lead's position.
Weather Conditions
Before departure, the pilot of the lead aircraft received a preflight weather briefing that included an AIRMET for mountain obscuration throughout the planned flight area. The area forecast indicated broken ceilings at 1,500 to 2,500 feet and a second broken layer at 3,000 to 5,000 feet. At the accident site, park service rangers reported overcast clouds with the tops of mountains intermittently obscured by clouds, snow, and light rain. Scattered clouds locally obscured lower terrain. The nearest weather reporting station, located 17 miles from the accident site, reported an overcast cloud layer at 5,300 feet MSL.