Accident Sequence
A witness reported that an airplane, matching the description of the accident aircraft, departed from an airport near Fort Collins, Colorado, at approximately 0900. A second witness stated that the same airplane landed at an airport near Steamboat Springs, Colorado. According to the second witness, the airplane remained on the ground for a brief period. During this time, the witness assisted the pilot in servicing one of the main landing gear tires with air, while a passenger took a bathroom break. The pilot did not purchase any fuel. The airplane departed at approximately 1045.
At 1116, the local Sheriff's office received a report of vertically rising black smoke near Rabbit Ears Pass. Around 1330, a firefighting helicopter crew dispatched to contain the fire reported that aircraft wreckage was present within the fire. At approximately 1630, a search and rescue team reported an unknown number of fatalities.
Investigation Findings
Due to the post-impact fire, immediate identification of the aircraft and its occupants was not possible. A serial number obtained from the airplane's engine was later used to identify the wreckage. The on-site investigation revealed several damaged trees along a 200-foot debris path preceding the accident site near the crest of a heavily forested mountain valley. No preimpact airframe or engine anomalies were identified.
The accident site was located in mountainous terrain at an elevation of approximately 9,500 feet above mean sea level. The calculated density altitude at an airport approximately 27 nautical miles west of the accident site was 9,152 feet msl.