The airplane was destroyed upon impacting mountainous terrain while in a climb at approximately 1930 Pacific time. Both the left-seat and right-seat certificated airline transport pilots sustained fatal injuries. Visual dark night conditions prevailed. A local law enforcement helicopter pilot, who was on an aerial patrol mission at the time of the accident, subsequently reported observing an explosion in mountainous terrain southwest of Las Vegas. The pilot stated he flew directly to the impact area, which took approximately five to seven minutes. The impact site was reported to be at an elevation of approximately 7200 feet msl. A mountain peak mile northwest of the accident site has an elevation of 8514 feet msl.
