Flight Details
The pilot, who lacked an instrument rating, departed California on a business flight bound for a destination in South Dakota. No flight plan was filed for the trip. Radar flight following services were terminated as the pilot approached the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Following that point, no further radar contacts or voice communications with the pilot occurred. The pilot did not request any en route weather briefings from FAA flight service stations, and the precise route flown over the mountains to the accident site could not be determined.
Weather Conditions
Instrument meteorological conditions, including multiple cloud layers and rain showers, prevailed in the vicinity of the accident site. Additionally, between 0830 and 0900, visible and infrared spectrum satellite imagery from the National Climatic Data Center revealed an area of rapidly developing cumulonimbus clouds at that location.
Wreckage Discovery
On May 18, 1998, the wreckage was located scattered over a distance of 0.64 miles, approximately 26 miles south of the pilot's intended direct route of flight. The engine, wings, flaps, ailerons, elevators, and empennage were found separated from the fuselage. A handheld GPS receiver was also recovered among the debris.
Pilot Background and Records
Acquaintances of the pilot reported that he maintained accurate flight records. The pilot's logbook contained multiple entries labeled 'pilot-in-command' for cross-country business flights that were performed in actual instrument weather conditions, during which the pilot navigated using a GPS receiver. No safety pilot or CFI was documented as accompanying the pilot on these flights. Approximately 1.5 days prior to the accident, the pilot was treated for a periodontal infection. An antibiotic and a narcotic pain reliever were prescribed, and partially emptied containers of these medications were found in the wreckage. Insufficient specimens remained to perform an autopsy or toxicological tests.