Accident Details
A pilot who was not rated for instrument flight departed Salt Lake City for Reno after receiving a weather briefing that indicated mountains occasionally obscured, occasional moderate icing from 18,000 ft and below, and ceilings across northern and central Nevada. The pilot filed a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan.
During the flight, while en route, the pilot entered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) in a mountainous area. After coordinating with an air traffic control center, the pilot attempted to climb to 12,000 ft, which was the minimum safe IFR altitude for the area. While climbing in IMC, the pilot lost control of the aircraft.
The aircraft subsequently impacted a mountain ledge in a nose-low inverted attitude at high speed.
Circumstances
The pilot had installed a new autopilot and LORAN navigation system the day before departing on the accident trip. During a stopover at Battle Mountain, fixed-base operator (FBO) personnel tried to convince the pilot to delay the flight due to poor weather conditions. The pilot proceeded despite these attempts.