Flight Details
The pilot intended to fly a direct route from the departure point to the destination, which crossed the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. The aircraft was cruising under visual flight rules (VFR) at 14,500 feet mean sea level (msl) as it approached the mountain range from the east.
Radar and Altitude Data
Recorded radar data indicated the aircraft was on a northwesterly heading as it neared 13,558-foot Mount Goddard. In the nine minutes before the aircraft disappeared from radar, mode-C decoded altitude data showed a descent from 14,500 feet to 13,200 feet. The wreckage was located near the point where radar contact was lost, at the 13,200-foot level on the mountain side.
Weather and Oxygen
Forecast winds aloft were northwesterly at approximately 50 knots. Two pilot reports stated that the mountain peaks were obscured in clouds. The aircraft had cruised above 12,500 feet for more than 50 minutes prior to the accident, and there was no supplemental breathing oxygen aboard.