What happened
Roughly ten minutes after departing, the pilot engaged in radio communication with another company pilot traveling in the opposite direction. During this exchange, the pilot mentioned he was searching for wolves. Shortly after this interaction, the other pilot reported that the radio signal was becoming unstable and breaking up. The pilot attributed the poor signal quality to being positioned behind a mountain ridge.
After the second pilot briefly left the frequency and returned, all communication with the aircraft was lost. The wreckage was subsequently discovered on the southwest side of a box canyon, situated approximately 100 feet below the ridge crest. The location of the crash was significantly different from the standard flight path, which usually maintains a distance of 6 miles from such terrain.
Findings
Investigations into the incident highlighted that the pilot lacked prior experience in mountain flying. The aircraft was found positioned deep within the canyon terrain, far from the established route used by company personnel.