Accident Overview
An aircraft crashed in a valley after encountering low clouds and mountainous terrain. Witnesses observed the aircraft circling beneath a cloud layer with an estimated ceiling of 400 feet obscured. Two witnesses reported the aircraft entered clouds before the crash. A third witness, who was a pilot, noted the aircraft at very low altitude as it approached rising terrain, then entered a steep climbing turn and stalled after completing two full turns. The impact occurred in a nose-low, left-wing-down attitude.
Investigation Findings
No preimpact mechanical problems were found with the aircraft. The pilot held a special third-class medical certificate issued after undergoing quintuple heart bypass surgery. He was reported to have become 'quite angry' before the flight due to the late arrival of two passengers. The pilot did not possess an instrument rating, and no record of a preflight weather briefing was discovered. A pathologist believed the pilot's death may have been due to arteriosclerotic heart disease, but this was not verified.
All five occupants were killed in the accident.
Official Probable Cause
The official probable cause was divided into three occurrences:
- Occurrence #1: In-flight encounter with weather (cruise phase) — Findings: inadequate preflight planning by the pilot-in-command, mountainous/hilly terrain, low ceiling, fog, and continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions.
- Occurrence #2: Loss of control in flight (maneuvering phase) — Findings: maneuver initiated, failure to maintain airspeed, and inadvertent stall by the pilot-in-command.
- Occurrence #3: In-flight collision with terrain (uncontrolled descent phase).