What happened
On the morning of the accident, an aircraft departed from Grand Junction Airport at 10:37 local time. The flight was a positioning maneuver intended for Tacoma, following the completion of routine maintenance work. This maintenance had specifically involved the removal, inspection, and reinstallation of the de-ice panels and wing leading edges. During the flight, the crew was performing a planned stall test.
After an initial climb into a right-hand turn toward the northeast, the aircraft leveled off at approximately 20,000 feet MSL. During the final minute of the flight, the aircraft entered a rapid vertical descent. The motion was consistent with a flat spin, and the crew was unable to recover the aircraft. The plane crashed in an uninhabited region near Westwater, Utah, close to the Colorado border.
Findings
The impact resulted in a significant post-crash fire that consumed much of the wreckage. Due to the high level of fragmentation of the airframe and engines, a comprehensive examination of all components was not possible. Both pilots on board were killed in the accident.
Investigation into the event revealed that the crew chose to perform the stall test while flying through icing conditions. This led to contamination on the wings, which reduced the critical angle of attack. Furthermore, the crew's attempt at remedial action during the stall actually worsened the aerodynamic state, leading to a total loss of control. The investigation also noted failures to adhere to specific test parameters regarding altitude limits, cloud clearance, and maintaining visual meteorological conditions.