DOUGLAS, WY, USA
N7697E
CHAMPION 7GC
THE PLT TOOK OFF ON AN AERIAL OBSERVATION FLT TO SPOT CATTLE IN A MOUNTAINOUS AREA. WHEN HE FAILED TO RETURN, A SEARCH WAS INITIATED. THE PLANE WAS FOUND IN A VALLEY BETWEEN 2 MOUNTAIN RANGES. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE ACFT HAD CRASHED WHILE IN A STEEP NOSE-LOW ATTITUDE. THERE WAS NO LONGITUDINAL GROUND SCAR, THE ENG WAS EMBEDDED IN A 30 INCH CRATER & CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED FROM ALL CONTROL SURFACES TO THE COCKPIT AREA. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS EVIDENT. THE 0750 MST WX AT DOUGLAS, WY (ELEVATION 4876 FT) WAS IN PART: 2000 FT OVERCAST, VISIBILITY 20 MI. THE ELEVATION OF THE CRASH SITE WAS ABOUT 7500 FT. THE ARPT MANAGER NOTED 'A CURTAIN OF SNOW SHOWERS OR BLOWING SNOW' TOWARDS THE MOUNTAINS WHERE THE THE PLANE CRASHED. ALSO, HE STATED THE MOUNTAIN TOPS WERE OBSCURED.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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