EUREKA, CA, USA
N3046Y
CESSNA 182E
AFTER FILING A FLIGHT PLAN UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES AND RECEIVING A WEATHER BRIEFING THAT RECOMMENDED THAT FLIGHT UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES NOT BE CONDUCTED TO HIS PROPOSED DESTINATION, THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT TOOK OFF FROM AN UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT WITHOUT OPENING HIS FLIGHT PLAN. WHEN THE PASSENGER DID NOT REPORT FOR WORK THE FOLLOWING DAY HER EMPLOYER REPORTED SHE AND THE PILOT MISSING. LATER IN THE DAY A COAST GUARD HELICOPTER REPORTED THAT AN ELT WAS TRANSMITTING IN THE VICINITY OF THE AIRPORT. A GROUND PARTY FOUND THE AIRCRAFT'S WRECKAGE STREWN OVER TREE COVERED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. LOW CEILINGS AND FOG EXISTED IN THE AREA AT THE TIME.
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT'S INADVERTENT FLIGHT INTO IMC CONDITIONS. THE PILOT'S LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE, HIS DISREGARD TO THE PREFLIGHT METEOROLOGICAL BRIEFING HE RECEIVED, LOW CEILINGS, FOG, AND THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN OVER WHICH THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED WERE FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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