What happened
The aircraft departed from a private airstrip on either November 22 or November 23, 1986. The pilot and his daughter were reported missing on November 24, prompting an immediate search effort. However, the wreckage remained undiscovered for nearly two years until hunters located the site on August 19, 1988.
The crash site was situated approximately 10 miles north of the departure location in hilly and mountainous terrain at an elevation of about 1,800 feet. Examination of the site indicated that the aircraft was traveling on a northwesterly heading when it struck a tree near the top of a ridge. The aircraft then crashed to the ground and came to rest against another tree on the ridge.
The impact and subsequent fire completely destroyed the aircraft. At the approximate time of the accident, weather conditions were generally visual flight rules (VFR). Weather reports from Ukiah, California, located about 9 miles west, indicated early morning fog with ceilings between 2,000 and 3,000 feet on November 22, which cleared to scattered clouds in the afternoon. On November 23, no cloud layers were reported below 20,000 feet.
The investigation
A thorough examination of the badly burned wreckage was conducted to determine the cause of the accident. Investigators found no preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure that could have contributed to the crash. The structural integrity of the aircraft prior to impact appeared normal based on the available evidence.
Findings
The investigation revealed several contributing factors to the incident. The pilot was reported to be despondent over his separation from his wife, which had occurred two weeks prior to the accident. This personal distress may have impacted his decision-making or situational awareness during the flight. The terrain in the area presented significant hazards, and the aircraft's path led it directly into mountainous ground.
The lack of immediate discovery of the wreckage highlights the challenges of search operations in remote, rugged areas. The two-year gap between the accident and the discovery of the site underscores the difficulty of locating downed aircraft in such environments without specific coordinates or debris fields visible from the air.