Accident Overview
A non-instrument rated private pilot filed a flight plan under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and received a weather briefing that recommended against conducting a VFR flight to his proposed destination. Despite this, the pilot took off from an uncontrolled airport without opening his flight plan. The following day, when the passenger did not report for work, her employer reported both the pilot and passenger missing. Later that day, a Coast Guard helicopter reported that an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) was transmitting in the vicinity of the airport. A ground party subsequently located the aircraft's wreckage strewn over tree-covered mountainous terrain. Low ceilings and fog existed in the area at the time of the accident.
Sequence of Events
After filing the flight plan, the pilot obtained a weather briefing that recommended against VFR flight to the intended destination. The pilot, who lacked an instrument rating, proceeded to take off from an uncontrolled airport without activating his flight plan. The passenger did not report for work the next day, prompting the employer to report the pair missing. Later that same day, a Coast Guard helicopter detected an ELT signal near the airport. The search led a ground party to the wreckage, which was scattered across mountainous terrain covered with trees.
Environmental Conditions
At the time of the accident, low ceilings and fog were present in the area. The terrain where the wreckage was found was mountainous and tree-covered, which complicated the search and recovery efforts.
Investigation Findings
The investigation determined that the pilot was not instrument rated and had received a weather briefing that advised against VFR flight to the destination. The pilot departed without opening his flight plan. The aircraft's wreckage was discovered in a remote, mountainous area with low ceilings and fog. No specific cause was assigned by the investigation.