What happened
On October 29, 2024, at approximately 16:45 Mountain daylight time, a Daher TBM 700, registration N885CA, was involved in an accident near Pinedale, Wyoming. The aircraft was operating under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight.
Prior to the accident, the aircraft landed at Ralph Wenz Field Airport (PNA) to refuel. During the stop, approximately 40 gallons of fuel were added to each tank, and six passengers boarded the aircraft. A witness noted that heavy snow was falling while the aircraft was on the ground, and the pilot used a brush to clear snow from the airplane before taxiing.
As the aircraft taxied and took off on runway 29, the snowfall had become light. Shortly after the aircraft became airborne, the left wing dropped and struck the terrain. The aircraft subsequently came to rest in a snow drift adjacent to the runway. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury and 6 minor injuries; there were 0 fatalities.
The investigation
The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and the left wing. Following the accident, the airplane was recovered and secured for further examination.