Accident Overview
The airplane collided with 100-foot-tall trees as it headed up a canyon. The pilot flew about 1,000 feet over Bass Lake, which has an elevation of 3,500 feet, and then proceeded toward the local mountains.
Witness Account
A campground host at the Chilkoot Campgrounds, elevation 4,700 feet, was sitting next to his trailer several miles north of Bass Lake. The trailer was oriented 350 degrees, and the airplane flew by parallel to the trailer. The trees in the area were over 100 feet tall, and the airplane was approximately 100 feet above the trees and 100 feet west of the trailer. The host heard the airplane for 3 to 4 seconds before it arrived, with the engine running smoothly. As the airplane passed, the host heard the sound increase and believed power was being added. He lost sight of the airplane due to the trees, and several seconds later heard two separate sounds of what he described as metal crunching.
Terrain and Conditions
The density altitude was approximately 6,500 feet. From Chilkoot Campground, the terrain to the east rose about 1,000 feet within one-half mile; to the west about 500 feet within one nautical mile; and to the north about 800 feet within one nautical mile.
Pilot Experience
The pilot had accumulated a total flight time of 345 hours, with 1.5 hours in this make and model. This included a 1-hour checkout by an instructor pilot two months prior to the accident.