Accident Overview
An airplane collided with rising mountainous terrain during a dark nighttime visual flight rules (VFR) approach to an airport located about 12 miles south of the accident site. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a subsequent post-impact fire.
Flight Details
The pilot had requested and was receiving radar flight following service but had not requested minimum safe altitude warnings, and that service was not provided. At 1752:55, the pilot contacted the TRACON radar facility and reported descending out of 5,800 feet inbound to the airport. The controller instructed the pilot to fly his own navigation to the airport and to maintain VFR. Radar flight following was terminated by the controller approximately one minute prior to the accident.
The airplane was last recorded on radar at 1759:30. At that time, its ground speed had decreased to about 130 knots, altitude had decreased to 1,700 feet, and the ground track was about 167 degrees magnetic.
Witness Observations
Two ground witnesses were approximately one-third mile from the crash site. They reported observing the accident airplane fly past their location; however, their view was restricted due to the presence of localized fog, and they only saw the illumination of the airplane's flashing white strobe light. Minutes later, they observed the glow of a ground fire in the direction the airplane had been flying.
Weather Conditions
The three closest airports to the accident site (7 miles west-southwest, 8 miles northeast, and 12 miles south-southwest) reported weather conditions within 15 minutes of the accident. These reports indicated a clear sky, 5- to 10-mile visibility, and surface winds between 6 and 7 knots. At 1755, the closest airport (northeast) reported 5 miles visibility with mist, and a temperature/dew point of 9 and 8 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Wreckage Examination
On-scene investigation revealed that the airplane cruised into 28-degree upsloping terrain. The initial impact point was at 1,660 feet mean sea level (msl), about 60 feet below the hilltop south of the site. The bearing between the initial impact point and the main wreckage was 163 degrees. No evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction was found during the wreckage examination.
The Safety Board investigator noted that when standing on the hilltop south of the impact site, the pilot's destination airport was visible, and no higher elevation exists between that hilltop and the airport.