Accident Details
While en route, the aircraft collided with mountainous terrain at an approximate elevation of 13,500 ft. Prior to the accident, the pilot had requested and was receiving traffic advisories from Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC). The controller noted the aircraft's position and altitude via Mode C reply. No terrain or obstruction alert was issued; at that time, the flight was operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and was near a route commonly used by VFR aircraft to cross the mountains. Therefore, no safety alert was required. However, after the accident, Oakland ARTCC began providing terrain and obstruction alerts to VFR aircraft as an additional service.
Terrain and Chart Information
The aircraft crashed into 32-degree upsloping terrain below Mount Keith (elevation 13,976 ft), approximately 8 miles north-northwest of Mount Whitney. On the most recent sectional chart, a note located about half an inch from the crash location stated: "Caution - rapidly rising terrain." Additionally, the chart displayed two maximum elevation figures indicating that nearby terrain rose above 14,000 ft.