Incident Overview
An aircraft conducting a flight under visual flight rules (VFR) inadvertently entered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and subsequently collided with a mountain. The accident occurred when the aircraft, operating without a flight plan or ATC clearance for IMC, impacted terrain.
Radar Data
An ARTS-III radar printout showed that the aircraft was maintaining a fairly continuous heading until radar coverage was lost. Air Traffic Control (ATC) confirmed loss of radar contact at an altitude of approximately 900 feet above mean sea level (MSL). The radar track indicated no significant deviations in heading prior to the loss of signal.
Wreckage and Terrain
The wreckage was located about 3.4 miles north of the last radar plot. Terrain elevations in the area of last radar contact are approximately 400 feet MSL, rising to about 1,000 feet near the crash site. The collision involved mountainous terrain, with the aircraft impacting the slope.