What happened
An aircraft flying a path roughly parallel to a mountain range struck a mountainside at an elevation of 1,100 feet. At the time of the accident, the area was experiencing marginal weather conditions. The aircraft was being operated by the pilot, who was the only person on board at the time of the impact. The collision resulted in one fatality.
According to statements provided by the pilot's son, the pilot frequently operated in similar weather environments by utilizing a loran course to navigate toward his destination. The established procedure involved flying through low-visibility conditions, or "the soup," before descending into visual flight rules (VFR) conditions once over the flat coastal regions to complete the landing.
Findings
- The aircraft was flying in marginal weather conditions at the time of the crash.
- The flight path was oriented roughly parallel to the mountain range.
- The impact occurred at the 1,100 foot level of the terrain.