Weather Briefing
The pilot received a weather briefing from a local Flight Service Station (FSS) the night before the planned flight. The FSS specialist informed the pilot of marginal VFR conditions and forecast moderate turbulence. The pilot stated he would check the weather in the morning.
The following day, the pilot contacted the FSS again for a weather update. The specialist reported that current local weather was not available and instead provided a 24-hour outlook. Turbulence remained in the forecast. The pilot did not attempt to check local weather conditions prior to the flight, which occurred approximately three hours later.
Accident Sequence
Witnesses observed the aircraft at an altitude of 200 feet above ground level (AGL), flying in and out of the ragged bottom of an overcast layer in mountainous terrain. The aircraft subsequently crashed in a level attitude, north of its intended course and heading approximately 90 degrees away from the course. The accident site was at the 4,700-foot level of a 5,054-foot mean sea level (MSL) mountain peak.
Investigation
The investigation documented the sequence of events, including the pilot's weather briefings and the circumstances of the crash. No causal factors were explicitly stated in the available information.