Accident Overview
On January 15, 1993, a private pilot requested and received a weather briefing from Flight Service Station (FSS) personnel for a planned flight from Smoketown, Pennsylvania, to Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The briefing included flight precautions and forecasts indicating instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions. The pilot was explicitly advised that visual flight rules (VFR) flight was not recommended.
Flight and Search
Despite the advisory, the pilot departed Smoketown at 0727 Eastern Standard Time. A radar target was observed departing the airport and tracked toward Latrobe. Later that morning, the airplane was reported missing, prompting a search operation. The wreckage and occupants were located on March 18, 1993.
Accident Site Examination
Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane first contacted trees at the top of a mountain and subsequently impacted terrain at approximately 2,800 feet mean sea level (MSL). Investigators noted no anomalies in the airframe or engine.
Pilot and Operational Details
The pilot held a private pilot certificate but was not instrument rated. No flight plan had been filed for the flight. At the time of the accident, instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed.