Accident Overview
The accident site is located on the south face of a mountain at 3,000 feet MSL in the Coastal Mountain Range, which separates San Luis Obispo from the San Joaquin Valley—the pilot's destination.
Weather Information
Ceilings in the area were measured between 2,600 and 2,300 feet. The non-instrument-rated pilot received two weather briefings prior to departure. During the briefings, the pilot was advised that marginal VFR conditions existed. San Luis Obispo reported a measured ceiling of 3,500 feet broken with visibility 10 miles. The briefer added an observation from an airport about 20 miles south of San Luis Obispo, which had ceilings of 3,000 feet overcast. The briefer then provided San Joaquin Valley observations indicating clear conditions below 12,000 feet. The pilot responded, "That's good enough for us." The pilot stated his intended cruise altitude as "about forty five hundred feet once we get past these clouds."
Wreckage and Examination
The burned and fragmented wreckage was spread over 260 feet on a 10-degree descending path on the mountainside. No mechanical failures were identified in the wreckage examination.