20020808022989A

(-23) At approximately 1930 hours on 8/8/02 Mooney 1088B departed richfield, Utah airport after taking on 41.9 gallons of fuel. Fuel capacity of the aircraft was 49 gallons. Three passengers and the pilot were aboard the aircrft. Witnesses reported all to be large men estimated at 200 pounds each. With full fuel the aircraft would have been 200 pounds above its maximum gross weight at takeoff. No weather briefing was obtained nor a flight plan filed with cedar city flight service. At approximately 2000 hours the aircraft struck a mountain ridge 28 NM sw of the richfield airport. The aircraft was flying parallel to the ridge at 12,147 MSL on an easterly heading when its right wing struck the ridge 10 feet from the top. The aircraft crashed into the ridge nose first 147 feet from the point where the right wing struck the ridge. The aircraft was flying toward the highest terrain in the area and was 29 feet below the highest terrain when it crashed. Prevailing winds at the time of the accident would have put the aircraft on the downwind side of the ridge which would resulted in the aircraft being in a downdraft. Pilot was attempting to fly over terrain that was rising faster than the aircraft could climb.