Incident Summary
At 0237, the pilot established contact with the Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) and verified that the aircraft was operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) at 9,500 feet above mean sea level (MSL), en route to Reno. One minute later, at 0238, the pilot reported his position as 10 miles south of the LIDAT intersection. The controller advised that the Oakland en route radar was out of service.
Flight Path Details
LIDAT is an intersection located on Victor Airway 105 (V105) between the Beatty and Coaldale VORs. The aircraft subsequently impacted a mountain at an elevation of 8,850 feet MSL. Investigators located the wreckage approximately 10 miles to the left of V105. The minimum obstruction clearance altitude (MOCA) along that segment of V105 is 10,000 feet.
Magneto Condition
Examination of the engine's magneto revealed that the left side was inoperable. There was evidence of cross-firing in both the left and right blocks. Additionally, heavy corrosion was found inside the magneto.