Flight Details
The pilot and two passengers were on a local mountain sightseeing flight. While flying over a canyon, the pilot remarked to his passengers that the flight was proceeding exactly as he had hoped, with airspeed at 80 knots indicated and a climb rate of 500 feet per minute.
Events Leading to the Landing
As the pilot pointed out terrain features, he observed that the airplane's altitude was lower than the canyon rim. Shortly thereafter, the climb rate and airspeed began to decrease. When the descent rate increased, the pilot attempted to turn the airplane around and exit the canyon. During a right turn, the stall warning horn sounded. In response, the pilot decided to execute a precautionary landing to a clearing.
Accident Sequence
During the ensuing precautionary landing, the airplane impacted trees and the terrain. The elevation at the accident site was 9,430 feet above mean sea level.