Incident Overview
The pilot was conducting a night cross-country flight. When the aircraft did not arrive at its destination, a search was initiated. On December 12, 1984, the plane was located where it had impacted an area of rising terrain while approaching the Tehachapi Mountains.
Impact Details
Impact occurred on a relatively flat area at an elevation of 4,250 feet. At the time of impact, the aircraft was in a wings level, tail low attitude and on a heading of 336 degrees. From one-half to two miles west of the accident site, the terrain rose rapidly to 6,700 feet.
Weather and Terrain
Area winds aloft at 9,000 and 12,000 feet were forecast to be from 333 degrees at 45 knots and 320 degrees at 54 knots, respectively.
Investigation Findings
No evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure was found.