Accident Overview
A pilot operating under visual flight rules (VFR) was briefed earlier in the day that VFR flight was not recommended due to mountain obscurement and the freezing level. Despite this, the flight departed. The aircraft remained in the traffic pattern and landed due to rain. After approximately two hours on the ground, the airport manager advised the pilot to follow a road westbound while flying at 2,300 feet (500-600 feet above ground level).
Flight and Collision
According to the passenger, the flight departed using the airport manager's instruction. About ten minutes after becoming airborne, the aircraft entered a fog bank or cloud. The pilot began banking to the left. During the turn, the passenger noted that the altimeter indicated 2,100 feet. While descending, the airplane collided with a tree and then the ground.
Post-Accident Examination
An FAA airworthiness inspector examined the airplane and found no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction of the flight controls. Examination of the engine also revealed no evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction.
Pilot Background
The pilot was not instrument rated but had accumulated about 43 hours of simulated instrument time. According to the pilot's flight instructor, the pilot had a tendency to lose altitude during turns while wearing a vision-restricting hood (simulating instrument conditions). The instructor also stated that the accident pilot would lose concentration and would be easily overloaded during simulated instrument flight.
Passenger Statement
The passenger stated that both were tired and that the pilot wanted to get home and off the mountain.