Accident Overview
A noninstrument-rated private pilot was conducting a night cross-country flight when the airplane collided with hilly coastal terrain. The accident occurred after the pilot encountered a coastal fogbank that obscured rising terrain. The wreckage was located the following morning approximately 50 feet below a ridge line on a southerly heading.
Flight and Weather Briefing
The pilot received three weather briefings throughout the day prior to the accident flight. During the last briefing, the weather briefer stated that visual flight rules (VFR) conditions were expected along the route, with cloud levels ranging from 1,000 to 2,200 feet above ground level (agl). Instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions were forecast to occur after midnight. The pilot was also informed that departing the following morning would involve IFR conditions, potentially requiring a wait for clearing weather. Additionally, the briefer noted that an air show was scheduled at the departure airport the next morning; if the pilot could not depart before 1100, the airport would be closed to traffic.
Eyewitness Account
An eyewitness walking on the beach reported seeing an airplane flying low overhead at approximately 100 feet agl. The witness observed the airplane make a left turn and fly inland for less than a mile before turning south again. The airplane then disappeared from view into a coastal fogbank that also obscured steeply rising terrain to the south. The witness did not hear any sound of a collision or see a fire, and assumed the aircraft had cleared the terrain.
Wreckage and Pilot Information
The airplane wreckage was discovered the following morning. No anomalies were noted with the airplane or engine that would have prevented normal operation. The pilot had accumulated 120 total flight hours, including 20 hours at night and 5 hours in simulated instrument conditions.