My Cozy chair traveled from offshore over the Arctic to the Mexican Border and included lots of mountain flying and sling work so I suppose passing judgement is a bit unfair.
After all we are talking about benign weather, a confined area you described as being about a thousand feet square at near sea level....with no mechanical defects affecting the controllability of the aircraft that suffered major damage.
Admit it....trying to suggest the aircraft is to blame for the accident is plain silly.
The pilot(s) diddled the pooch!