What happened
The incident occurred while the aircraft was cruising at an altitude of 14,000 feet. During this phase of flight, the right engine experienced a failure accompanied by a drop in fuel pressure. The crew attempted to restart the affected engine but was unsuccessful. Additionally, they were unable to feather the propeller on that side.
The inability to feather the propeller resulted in high drag, causing the aircraft to lose altitude rapidly. As the plane descended to 8,000 feet, which is below the established minimum safe altitude of 9,000 feet for the region, all occupants decided to evacuate the aircraft. The plane subsequently lost control and dove into the ground, crashing in a valley near Lovelock.
Findings
Following the crash, fourteen occupants were found alive. However, one crew member was killed because their parachute did not open properly. The official investigation identified engine failure as the primary cause of the accident.