What happened
On January 14, 2025, at approximately 06:22 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-24-250, registration N6502P, crashed near Rock Springs, Wyoming. The flight was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 for personal use. The aircraft had departed from Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport (RKS) with an intended destination of Apple Valley Airport (APV) in California.
An alert notice was issued after the pilot failed to arrive at the destination. Preliminary ADS-B data indicated that after departing RKS, the aircraft climbed to 10,17 5 feet MSL and maintained a southwesterly heading for approximately 11 minutes. The flight track showed a descending 180-degree left turn to 8,400 feet MSL, followed by a right climbing turn to 9,000 feet MSL, and a final descent back to 8,400 feet MSL on a southerly heading. The accident site was located roughly 1/4 mile south of the final recorded ADS-B data point.
Local law enforcement located the wreckage the following day. The aircraft was destroyed in the crash, and the pilot sustained 1 fatal injury.