Flight Details
The pilot, who held an instrument rating, was traveling with his family on a flight from Texas to California. The arrival occurred during nighttime hours. Throughout the flight, the pilot did not establish communication with any Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) facility. During an earlier stop for refueling, the pilot made telephone calls to a friend and his parents to coordinate being picked up at the destination airport.
The Accident
After arriving in California, the pilot began circling over the friend's house to notify the friend of his arrival. While engaged in this circling maneuver, the aircraft struck the mountain on which the friend's house was situated.
Weather Conditions
The weather at the time was reported as marginal visual flight rules (MVFR). This observation came from a location 5 miles south of and 1,200 feet below the accident site. The reported weather included a ceiling of 1,000 feet above ground level (AGL).