What happened
The pilot received two weather briefings before departure. During these sessions, he was warned about instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) that would persist beyond 0900 EST. He was also advised that mountain tops would be obscured and icing possible below 6000 feet to the west. Although he stated his intention to fly under IFR rules, he did not file a flight plan. After reviewing charts, he took off at approximately 0845. Before departure, he told ground control he planned to cruise just above 1100 feet, right under the cloud deck. Radar contact was lost at 0853, nine miles east of the airport.
The investigation
The aircraft impacted White Oak Mountain about 75 feet below its summit, roughly 10 miles northeast of the departure airport. Examination showed the plane hit in a nose-level, right-wing-low attitude. No pre-impact mechanical issues were found. Local residents reported low clouds obscuring hilltops at the time.
Findings
The pilot continued flight into IMC despite receiving precautions. He failed to maintain terrain clearance in low visibility conditions.