What happened
The pilot departed on a visual flight rules cross-country flight after checking the weather at the local destination area. Although the pilot was aware of broken and overcast cloud layers at the destination, he believed that conditions would improve prior to his arrival. Upon reaching the destination airport, the aircraft entered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The pilot initiated a climb in an attempt to ascend out of the clouds, but the aircraft impacted a hill. Following the impact, the emergency locator transmitter activated. During the subsequent flight, the pilot noticed that the landing gear was missing. Rather than attempting to reach the original destination airport, the pilot elected to perform a precautionary landing in a riverbed.
Findings
- The pilot entered instrument meteorological conditions while operating under visual flight rules.
- The aircraft impacted terrain during a climb attempt.
- The aircraft sustained damage including the loss of the landing gear.