What happened
During a night departure under instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), an aircraft struck rising terrain while in a descending flight path. The aircraft was in a slight nose-up attitude with a 15-degree left bank at the moment of impact. The incident occurred amidst rain and snow showers, which left the area without visible ground reference lights.
At the time of the collision, the aircraft had traveled 3,987 feet from the end of the departure runway. The impact caused the wreckage to slide an additional 837 feet through brush. The flight path at impact deviated 75 degrees from the original takeoff heading.
According to the pilot, the initial takeoff procedures were normal and all onboard systems were functioning correctly. The pilot reported a climb rate of 1,500 feet per minute as the aircraft passed through 8,500 feet, which was the last significant event remembered before the crash. The airport involved is situated at an elevation of 7,091 feet.
Search and rescue operations for the occupants were hindered by the darkness, inclement weather, and interference from erroneous ELT signals produced by the debris field.
Findings
Investigation of the wreckage revealed no evidence of mechanical failure or system malfunction prior to the impact. The pilot did not report any memory of radio altimeter alerts or warning light activations during the climb.