What happened
The incident occurred near the Simplot Ranch Airstrip, situated adjacent to the middle fork of the Salmon River, roughly 27 miles northwest of Challis, Idaho. Following takeoff, the pilot began a flight path traveling northeast along the river. The intended destination was a USFS airstrip located approximately 7 miles upriver to the southwest.
While a course reversal is typically executed about 6 miles downriver from the departure point, the pilot attempted to turn around much earlier. This maneuver was initiated over a shallow bench area on the western side of the river, only about 1.25 miles from the takeoff site. During this attempt to reverse direction, the aircraft type (unspecified) struck the terrain while heading west. The wreckage remained in an upright position with minimal evidence of forward momentum but showed significant vertical impact damage. There were no indications of mechanical failure prior to the collision.
Findings
The accident resulted in four fatalities. Investigations into the crash identified several contributing factors related to the flight's execution. The primary cause was an inadvertent stall during a maneuvering phase. Other contributing elements included:
- Inadequate clearance and improper in-flight planning by the pilot in command
- Failure to maintain necessary airspeed during the turn
- Challenging terrain conditions characterized by rising, high, and mountainous topography