Accident Overview
A Cessna 172 aircraft collided with mountainous terrain during a night visual flight rules (VFR) flight. The pilot was not instrument-rated and was operating VFR on top of a 1,500-foot ceiling above the destination. The aircraft was in radio and radar contact with a local Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility.
Flight Details
The pilot did not request assistance from TRACON to avoid the weather conditions. Instead, the pilot elected to find a hole in the overcast. TRACON issued a warning to the pilot regarding high terrain. The pilot chose to continue flight below the minimum vectoring altitude under own navigation and reported that ground contact was established.
Sequence of Events
TRACON informed the pilot of the aircraft's location relative to the airport and advised that the aircraft was heading towards high terrain. The altitude readout indicated approximately 2,600 feet MSL. The pilot then requested a vector to the airport. TRACON provided a westbound heading. The pilot turned to that heading but subsequently reversed course and headed east towards even higher terrain. Radar and radio contact were lost.
The airplane collided with the east slope of a 1,868-foot ridge at the 1,500-foot level on a southerly heading. The wreckage was located on the slope.