Incident Overview
A pilot conducted a precautionary landing in a riverbed after the airplane impacted a hill while in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The flight began as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country trip after the pilot checked weather conditions at the local destination area.
Pilot's Actions and Conditions
According to the pilot, he was aware of broken and overcast cloud layers at his destination but believed the conditions would improve by the time of his arrival. Upon reaching the destination airport, the pilot encountered instrument conditions and initiated a climb in an attempt to exit the clouds. During the climb, the airplane struck a hill, activating the emergency locator transmitter.
Post-Impact Events
Following the impact, the pilot noticed that the landing gear was missing. Instead of attempting to land at the intended destination airport, he chose to make a precautionary landing in a nearby riverbed.
Weather Information
Weather observation facilities in the vicinity of the destination airport were reporting instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) throughout the morning of the accident.