Accident Overview
The airplane collided with upsloping, high mountainous terrain at an elevation of 12,660 feet mean sea level. The collision occurred while the airplane was maneuvering low to the terrain and below the tops of adjacent peaks and ridge lines west of the accident site. Ground scars and crush deformation indicate that the airplane impacted the ground in a stall/mush descent.
Flight History
The pilot departed South Lake Tahoe with the intention of conducting a nonstop flight to an airport in Southern California. The route included flying over Yosemite National Park and other scenic areas of the Sierra Nevada mountains, as documented by 81 digital photographs taken by a passenger. En route weather reports indicated benign conditions with scattered high clouds predominant. The last few photographs taken near the accident site show the airplane flying in a generally southeasterly direction at elevations below those of the surrounding mountains.
Communications and Radar
Following departure, there were no communications with or services provided by any Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) facility. No evidence of any radar track consistent with the airplane's course was found in the vicinity of the accident site. The lowest altitude at which a target is visible on radar in that area is 13,300 feet.
Wreckage and Site Details
The wreckage was located on a Sierra Nevada mountain plateau, oriented in an easterly direction facing lower elevation terrain. One mile east of the accident site, the elevation decreases to about 11,300 feet mean sea level, and about 10 miles farther east, the elevation decreases to approximately 4,900 feet mean sea level. The accident occurred after the airplane had been flying for 1.9 hours.
Aircraft and Performance
The airplane was equipped with a normally aspirated, 260-horsepower engine. With reduced gross weight, the aircraft could achieve a service ceiling of 15,000 feet. The density altitude at the accident site was approximately 15,000 feet. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any mechanical malfunction.