What happened
While operating in night visual meteorological conditions, the aircraft impacted mountainous terrain and was destroyed by impact forces. Before departing, the pilot received a weather briefing that indicated thunderstorms and moderate to severe precipitation along the planned route. During the flight, the pilot contacted air traffic control several times to discuss the possibility of diverting; however, the pilot chose to continue along the original route until weather conditions worsened.
After deciding to divert to an alternate airport, the pilot attempted a non-precision approach. The pilot failed to request the activation of runway lights via the UNICOM frequency. A witness observed the aircraft fly over the runway while the lights remained unilluminated. Due to the inability to see the runway during the approach, the pilot executed a missed approach. However, the pilot did not follow the published missed approach procedure, which resulted in an impact with mountainous terrain at an elevation of 8,350 feet, approximately 4 miles west of the runway threshold.
Following the accident, rescue personnel reported that the pilot stated he was flying in bad weather and acknowledged it was a mistake. The accident site consisted of rock and sagebrush covered terrain. At the time of the accident, airport weather included rain, visibility of 10 statute miles, scattered clouds at 3,300 feet, and a density altitude of approximately 9,500 feet.
The investigation
Investigators found no anomalies with the airframe or the engine. The pilot had accumulated approximately 20 hours of flight time in this specific aircraft make and model, including 11 night flight hours, but possessed no actual instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) experience as a single pilot.