What happened
During a flight through mountainous terrain, a Beech 65 experienced a sudden loss of control. The pilot reported that the aircraft began a right-hand turn and rolled into a right wing-low position, eventually becoming inverted and entering a spin. During the descent, the aircraft maintained a steep nose-down attitude before the pilot attempted to pull out of the dive.
A witness on the ground reported hearing the aircraft's engines, though they initially confused the sound with an approaching motorcycle. The impact with the trees resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft and six fatalities.
Findings
Investigation into the wreckage revealed that the right engine had suffered a broken exhaust valve. While the left propeller was found in the feathered position, no mechanical failures or malfunctions were identified in the left engine.
Regarding the pilot's experience, records indicated the pilot had only flown the aircraft for 45 days prior to the accident, with 3.5 hours of dual instruction logged. There was no evidence of further flight training in the pilot's logbook following that period. However, the pilot had successfully completed a flight in a Cessna 150 just four days before the accident.