Feb. 12, Bishop, Calif. / Beech C99

At about 10:00 PST, the pilot of a Beech C99 was killed when the aircraft struck mountainous terrain near Bishop. The aircraft was not carrying cargo at the time of the accident. The aircraft was reported missing later that day when it failed to arrive as scheduled, but the wreckage was not found until February 14. The Beech crashed on the eastern slopes of White Mountain in the Inyo National Forest at 9,500 feet. Witnesses observed the aircraft flying between 7,000 and 8,000 feet msl as it entered Trace Plumas Canyon on White Mountain and begin a gradual left turn. The aircraft then disappeared from view. The canyon leads to the accident site. According to the operator, the pilot had successfully bid on a captain position on larger equipment and this was to be his last trip along this route. Several acquaintances of the pilot reported that he intended to photograph some scenic locations along this route.