What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft crashed at an altitude of 4800 feet in west fork of fay canyon after flying over bear mountain that peaks at 6506 feet. The horizontal distance from the canyon?s edge by bear mountain which is 6000 feet elevation, to the crash site is about one-half mile.
The density altitude at the time of the accident is estimated to have been 7738DA @ 4800 asl and 9,675DA @ 6,400 asl. The aircraft was reported to have left flagstaff about an hour before the accident with four occupants and full fuel.
Post impact fire was burn up most of the non-steel parts of the aircraft. The first identified point of contact was a tree about 18-inches in diameter that was uprooted. The debris path was about 100 feet in length and about 40 feet wide and on a 90 degree magnetic heading. The proximity of undamaged trees near the initial impact point indicated that the aircraft had a relatively steep angle of decent. A wittness who did not see the aircraft heard the engine accelerate then get quiet and accelerate again, just prior to hearing an explosion.
The accident investigation did not reveal any failures of flight control systems or engine.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT CRASHED AT AN ALTITUDE OF 4800 FEET IN WEST FORK OF FAY CANYON AFTER FLYING OVER BEAR MOUNTAIN THAT PEAKS AT 6506 FEET. THE HORIZONTAL DISTANCE FROM THE CANYON?S EDGE BY BEAR MOUNTAIN WHICH IS 6000 FEET ELEVATION, TO THE CRASH SITE IS ABOUT ONE-HALF MILE.
THE DENSITY ALTITUDE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT IS ESTIMATED TO HAVE BEEN 7738DA @ 4800 ASL AND 9,675DA @ 6,400 ASL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPORTED TO HAVE LEFT FLAGSTAFF ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE THE ACCIDENT WITH FOUR OCCUPANTS AND FULL FUEL.
POST IMPACT FIRE WAS BURN UP MOST OF THE NON-STEEL PARTS OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE FIRST IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT WAS A TREE ABOUT 18-INCHES IN DIAMETER THAT WAS UPROOTED. THE DEBRIS PATH WAS ABOUT 100 FEET IN LENGTH AND ABOUT 40 FEET WIDE AND ON A 90 DEGREE MAGNETIC HEADING. THE PROXIMITY OF UNDAMAGED TREES NEAR THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD A RELATIVELY STEEP ANGLE OF DECENT. A WITTNESS WHO DID NOT SEE THE AIRCRAFT HEARD THE ENGINE ACCELERATE THEN GET QUIET AND ACCELERATE AGAIN, JUST PRIOR TO HEARING AN EXPLOSION.
THE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION DID NOT REVEAL ANY FAILURES OF FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEMS OR ENGINE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.