What happened
On July 14, 2012, a Cirrus SR22, registration N86AA, crashed into mountainous terrain near Salina, Utah. The flight was a cross-country trip originating from Concord, California, with a planned destination of Aspen, Colorado. Although the pilot filed a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan, the aircraft encountered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and mountain obscuration during the flight.
Radar data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) showed the aircraft traveling west to east at 13,700 feet mean sea level (msl). During the final two minutes of radar tracking, the aircraft was observed performing a slow climbing turn to 14,2 and then a sharper left turn at 13,500 feet msl. Radar contact was lost, and the wreckage was located the following day by a search team.
The aircraft struck trees and terrain in a steep nose-down attitude. The impact resulted in 2 fatal injuries, claiming the lives of the pilot and one passenger. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage in the Fishlake National Forest and found the debris field stretched approximately 425 feet long. The engine and airframe were inspected, and no mechanical anomalies or failures were identified that would have prevented normal operation.
Examination of the Primary Flight Display (PFD) and Multi-Function Display (MFD) was conducted; however, the chips containing flight data were not present on the recovered circuit boards, and no data could be recovered from the flight components.
Weather studies revealed that while departure and destination airports had VFR conditions, the route of flight was subject to an AIRMET for mountain obscuration. Nearby weather stations and pilot reports indicated low ceilings, rain, and reduced visibility. Specifically, a station at 8,700 feet reported high humidity and conditions supporting mountain obscuration, and other reports indicated cloud bases as low as 200 to 400 feet in the region.