What happened
On December 23, 1995, a non-instrument rated pilot departed northern California on a cross-country flight destined for Arizona. The pilot did not file a flight plan prior to departure. After the aircraft failed to arrive at its destination, a search operation was initiated, but it yielded no results.
On June 27, 1996, several months after the disappearance, microwave technicians traveling to an antenna site spotted the wreckage. The aircraft had collided with the crest of a ridge line while in a near-level cruise flight attitude.
During the initial search efforts, investigators contacted a local resort to determine if the pilot had landed there, as he had done on previous occasions. Personnel at the resort reported that no aircraft traffic had been observed that day due to weather conditions consisting of low clouds, rain, and snow showers. The wreckage was found approximately 16 miles from the resort.