Flight Details
The flight arrived in Monterey, California, that afternoon. After dinner, the flight was returning to the point of original departure.
Events Leading to Accident
When the pilot contacted the tower for taxi instruction, he was informed that Monterey weather was below VFR minimums. After a discussion of weather conditions in the vicinity and the nearby mountains, the controller issued a special VFR clearance out of the control zone. At 2051 Pacific Daylight Time, the aircraft was cleared for takeoff.
Accident Sequence
At 2054, when asked by the controller if the highway was in sight, the pilot responded "Roger." The controller instructed the pilot to stay over the highway and to standby on tower frequency. At 2055, the controller called the aircraft to turn left, warning of rising terrain. The aircraft was observed on radar to climb in a right turn from 900 to 1500 feet before radar contact was lost about 4.5 miles east of the airport.
Wreckage and Site
The aircraft impacted 30-degree upsloping terrain in a nose-down inverted attitude and was consumed by post-crash fire. Elevation at the airport was 244 feet MSL; elevation at the accident site was 744 feet MSL.