Flight Plan and Route Changes
The pilot planned a nonstop flight from Washington to California. Preflight weather briefings indicated generally visual flight rules (VFR) conditions. During the flight, the pilot amended his route and landed at Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Landing at Klamath Falls
During the landing rollout at Klamath Falls, the aircraft nearly veered off the side of the runway. The pilot informed air traffic control that he needed a rest stop and that he had experienced a flap problem. Witnesses reported the pilot appeared "nervous, undecided, and bewildered."
Final Flight and Terrain
After departing Klamath Falls, the pilot continued a southbound circling route that placed the aircraft over the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains at an elevation over 7,000 feet above mean sea level (MSL). Approximately 40 miles west lay the Central Valley of California, at an elevation of 300 feet MSL. While cruising at 13,000 feet MSL, the pilot reversed course and disappeared from radar. The aircraft crashed inverted into terrain at 4,900 feet MSL, about 1.5 miles from its last radar position. Witnesses reported heavy rain and visible lightning at the time.
Pilot Background
The pilot had not logged any instrument flight time in 19 years. His total flight time was 88 hours, and his total pilot-in-command time in the accident aircraft—purchased three weeks before the accident—was 0.5 hours.