Departure and Disappearance
On April 18, 1984, at approximately 1845 Pacific Standard Time, a pilot who was not rated for instrument flight departed from Imperial, California. Later that evening, between 2100 and 2200 PST, two individuals reported observing an aircraft circling in the vicinity of Cummings Mountain, about 10 miles south of the eventual accident site. The mountain tops were obscured by clouds and rain, and the aircraft disappeared from view.
Search and Discovery
When the aircraft failed to arrive at its intended destination, a search effort commenced. The search lasted nine days but did not locate the aircraft at that time. However, on August 28, 1984, the wreckage was discovered at an elevation of 3,300 feet above mean sea level, where it had crashed.
Weather Conditions
On the date of the accident, the area forecast for the vicinity of the crash site called for broken to overcast clouds at 2,000 to 3,000 feet MSL, with cloud tops reaching 16,000 feet MSL.
Crash Site Examination
An examination of the crash site revealed that the aircraft had impacted terrain in a steep right bank, with a slightly nose-low attitude. Investigators found no evidence of preimpact part failure or malfunction.