Accident Description
An aircraft impacted a mountain ridge at an elevation of 2,375 feet mean sea level (msl). A witness, who held a private pilot certificate, was hiking atop the mountain and heard the aircraft approach. The witness reported that the aircraft passed nearby to the west, about 200 to 300 yards from his position, but was not visible. The engine was described as "running healthy and normally at or near full power." Subsequently, a "loud, muffled thud" was heard, followed by an explosion and an orange fireball visible near the top of the clouds.
Weather and Radar Data
The witness noted a solid stratus cloud layer in the valley below, with cloud tops approximately 100 feet below the mountain peak (2,696 feet msl). The nearest weather reporting station, located 9 miles south, reported overcast cloud bases at 1,000 feet msl. Recorded radar data covering the final 1 minute and 37 seconds of the flight showed the aircraft initially westbound at 1,500 feet, climbing to 1,800 feet, about 1 mile south of the accident site. The airplane then made a right turn to a northerly heading and, during the final minute, climbed from 1,800 feet to 2,400 feet. The last radar return placed the aircraft at 2,400 feet near the accident site.
Investigation
No mechanical anomalies were found with the aircraft. The pilot had received an outlook weather briefing the evening before the accident, which accurately forecast the weather conditions at the time of the accident.