Background
The pilot was hired to ferry an Islander from El Paso, Texas, to Santa Paula, California. He represented himself to the ferry company as an experienced Islander pilot; however, no previous Islander flight time was found in the pilot's logbook. It was the pilot's 40th birthday, and he was anxious to complete the flight. He neither filed flight plans nor had current charts.
Flight Details
Approaching the Chiriaco summit area along Interstate 10, the terrain rose. A ground-based witness reported that clouds were low in the area. The pilot continued the westbound flight.
Accident Sequence
Evidence indicated that the aircraft was overstressed during the flight and subsequently broke up in the air. Both occupants were killed.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the accident was caused by the pilot's improper in-flight planning/decision, self-induced pressure, and lack of total experience in the aircraft type, which led to exceeding the design stress limits of the aircraft. This resulted in the separation of the wing and flight control surfaces, followed by an uncontrolled descent and collision with terrain.