Accident Overview
A private pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight under 14 CFR Part 91 as part of a group flight-seeing tour of Alaska. The group had departed from Washington state several days earlier and consisted of ten participants, each flying their own airplane. Before the accident flight, the group leader—an experienced commercial pilot with significant Alaska mountain flight experience—briefed the participants on the suggested route and altitudes through mountainous terrain to a rendezvous airport. Additionally, an FAA inspector presented information on mountain flying hazards.
Flight Details
The group departed in small intervals. The accident pilot and two other pilots chose to initially fly a course parallel to the suggested route, up a different drainage or canyon, with the intention of rejoining the suggested route later. A pilot flying above and behind the accident airplane observed steeply rising terrain at the canyon's end. This pilot began climbing to clear a saddle between two peaks before the accident pilot did.
Collision and Aftermath
The pilot above reported that the accident pilot, who was approximately 700 to 1,000 feet lower, started his climb too late and struck a rock face about 300 feet below the 5,000-foot mean sea level (msl) saddle. The impact and a subsequent postcrash fire destroyed the airplane. Inspection of the wreckage revealed propeller and component signatures consistent with a high power setting at the moment of impact.
Pilot and Weather Observations
According to the pilot flying behind the accident airplane, no distress calls were heard from the accident pilot before the collision. Other pilots in the area noted that the wind was calm or light, with no turbulence, and there was ample clearance between ridges and higher cloud layers. Weather was not considered a factor in the accident.