Accident Overview
During dark night visual conditions, the airplane impacted heavily wooded mountainous terrain at an elevation of 11,100 feet. The aircraft came to rest upright on an estimated 60-degree slope, with the fuselage displaying forward-to-aft accordion-type crush damage. The wreckage energy path measured approximately 75 feet in length on a measured magnetic heading of 060 degrees.
Flight Background
On the morning of the accident flight, a private pilot and a flight instructor purchased the airplane through an aviation brokerage company. Due to unexpected financing problems, the flight instructor and the private pilot—who was receiving a checkout flight—departed the airport approximately 4.5 hours later than originally planned.
Pre-Accident Events
While at an intermediate fuel stop, one of the pilots obtained an updated weather briefing from a flight service station. Shortly after departure from that airport, the pilots requested flight following from air traffic control to their planned destination. The last radar contact with the accident airplane was approximately 45 minutes after departure, at an altitude of 10,700 feet.
Wreckage Examination
During the examination of the wreckage, no aircraft or engine anomalies were noted that would have prevented normal operations.