According to the pilot, he crossed Ruby Mountain at 9,900 ft MSL. After crossing, he reportedly encountered light rain and 500 ft/min downdrafts. He stated that he flew into rotor winds and had difficulty keeping the wings level. Reportedly, there was insufficient altitude to reverse course, so he selected the only available place to land, a sloping, rocky meadow. During the landing roll, the nosewheel hit a rock and the aircraft went over on its top. The pilot strongly emphasized that the use of shoulder harnesses prevented him and the passenger (his wife) from receiving injuries. At about the same time, another pilot was giving instructions on mountain flying in a Cessna 172. He was flying approximately 15 miles south of the accident site. According to him, the air was very unstable and there were thunderstorms in the area. He reported that his climb rate never exceeded 100 ft/min, except in updrafts on the windward side of the ridges. The elevation of the crash site was approximately 8,200 ft.