Nighttime Mountain Collision in Wyoming (N74586)

Incident Overview and Flight Details An aircraft departed from Chico, California, at 1515 local time, bound for Billings, Montana. The flight carried eight children, ten adults, and a crew of three, totaling 21 occupants. During the night, the aircraft encountered foggy conditions while cruising. ## Collision and Search Operations At approximately 1750 local time, the aircraft struck the slope of Mount Moran, which has an elevation of 12,605 feet. The mountain is located in the northwest part of Wyoming, south of Yellowstone National Park. Because the aircraft did not arrive at its destination, search and rescue operations were initiated. ## Discovery and Aftermath The following day, local farmers reported a fire on the mountain to authorities. They noted that it was unusual for anything to be burning in that area during that time of year, suggesting the fire might be from the crashed aircraft. Due to the inaccessibility of the accident zone, it took rescuers a significant amount of time to locate the wreckage. All 21 occupants of the aircraft were killed in the accident.