Flight Details
A non-instrument rated private pilot departed on a cross-country flight in a rented airplane under 14 CFR Part 91 for personal transportation. According to the operator who rented the airplane, the pilot stated his intention to fly to a community approximately 135 miles south of the departure airport and return. About two hours after departure, residents of a coastal community located about 43 miles west of the departure airport reported hearing a low-flying airplane.
Weather and Witness Observations
Witnesses consistently reported that low clouds and fog had substantially reduced visibility at the time of the accident. One witness, a private pilot, stated that he observed the airplane emerge from a fog bank at an altitude of about 20 feet above the water, flying over the tidal bay waters adjacent to his home. The airplane was heading toward a set of power lines that stretched across the bay. Just before striking the power lines, the airplane pitched up abruptly and climbed over them. After clearing the power lines, the airplane stalled, with its nose dropping abruptly.
Accident Sequence
Following the stall, the airplane collided with shallow tidal water and a dock in a nose-down attitude.