Accident Overview
During a night flight from California to Arizona, the pilot of a single-engine airplane impacted rising terrain in a mountain pass. The crash site, at an elevation of 3,560 feet msl, was located about half a mile north of a state highway at 3,000 feet msl. No witnesses reported observing the accident.
Weather and Terrain
Overcast skies were present with cloud bases between 3,200 and 3,400 feet msl. A hillside resident living about one-third mile downslope from the crash site reported that his home, at 3,200 feet msl, was shrouded in ground fog around the time of the accident.
Pilot and Flight Details
The pilot held an instrument rating but was not current; his last logged instrument flight was seven years earlier. According to the FAA, the pilot did not file a flight plan, obtain a weather briefing, or communicate with any FAA facility during the flight.
Wreckage Examination
Examination of the wreckage revealed that the airplane initially impacted upsloping terrain in a near-level flight attitude. It came to rest upside down about 750 feet from the initial point of ground impact. No evidence of mechanical malfunction was found with the airplane.