Flight Details
At approximately 1938 Mountain Standard Time, a plane departed Phoenix, Arizona, without a filed flight plan. The pilot had been advised by a weather briefer that visual flight rules (VFR) flight to Flagstaff was not recommended. In response, the pilot stated that he had recently flown from Sedona and was confident he could return using VFR.
En route, the pilot reported flying at an altitude of 7,500 feet, below an overcast layer of unknown altitude. The aircraft was proceeding northbound.
Weather Conditions
At the time of the flight, the weather at Flagstaff was reported as an 800-foot overcast ceiling, visibility of 3 miles, with light snow showers and fog. The overcast layer en route was of unspecified height, and no other weather observations along the route were provided.
Accident Location
Approximately 6 miles north of Sedona, Arizona, the plane struck trees and crashed. The accident site was at an elevation of about 7,000 feet, on snow-covered, wooded terrain at the edge of a plateau located between Sedona and Flagstaff.