Accident Details
A pilot departed on a VFR flight from South Lake Tahoe, California, to Tracy, California. The pilot failed to obtain a weather briefing or file a flight plan prior to departure.
Weather Conditions
At the departure airport, weather was reported as scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, a broken ceiling estimated at 3,000 feet, visibility of 20 miles, temperature 30 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 16 degrees Fahrenheit, and light snow falling at the time of takeoff. Weather conditions near the accident site were forecast to be obscured with precipitation during the time of the accident.
Search and Rescue
An emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal was received by a satellite and a transport aircraft at approximately 1721 hours. The signal was reported to the Scott Air Force Base Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. A Civil Air Patrol aircraft was dispatched to the reported coordinates. The aircraft's wreckage was located at about 1100 hours on the morning following the accident.