What happened
The aircraft departed a local airport on the morning of the accident. After the pilot failed to return home by nightfall, a family member notified authorities that the pilot was missing. An ALNOT was issued approximately 30 minutes after the report. The wreckage was located the following morning beneath high-tension electrical power transmission lines.
The site contained portions of the left wing and a severed skyline wire. Two sets of electrical wires, spaced about 50 feet apart, cross the valley in a northwest-southeast direction with an open span of 5,190 feet. At the center of the valley, these wires are suspended approximately 175 feet above the valley floor.
The investigation
An inspection of the aircraft revealed that the leading edge of the left wing had an impact mark featuring a rust-colored, braided appearance similar to the skyline wire. A similar scrape was found on the lower spar cap of the left wing that remained attached to the airplane. Additionally, a circular gouge was identified on the leading edge of one propeller blade; the diameter of this gouge matched the end of the severed wire. An on-scene inspection of the airframe and powerplant showed no mechanical discrepancies.