Accident Overview
A private pilot, engaged in a personal cross-country flight, was involved in a crash atop a remote, unpopulated mesa. The accident was discovered when firefighters responded to a grass fire on the mesa, which was determined to have been ignited by the airplane impact. No witnesses to the event were identified.
Wreckage Examination
Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane struck the ground in a near-vertical descent. The wreckage sustained severe fire damage; the fuselage was consumed by fire except for its steel tubing frame. The engine accessory case, oil pan, all engine accessories, and all cockpit instruments and avionics were destroyed by the fire.
Mechanical Inspection
Despite the extensive fire damage, inspection of the airframe and engine found no evidence of any abnormalities that would have prevented normal operation prior to impact.
Conclusion
The reason for the loss of control could not be determined from the available evidence.