What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
VFR pilot departed into IMC. Lost control in steer turn exiting. Low clouds(.4) the pilot performed a preflight inspection and taxied in an easterly direction toward an area where witnesses indicated the rising sun and the blue sky were visible. The pilot elected to takeoff on runway 26 toward an area where a 200-foot overcast ceiling existed and the visibility was 0.75 mile. The airplane climbed into the clouds and within 60 seconds descended into a mountainside 0.8 miles from the airport while in a 90-degree left bank turn. An examination of the wreckage revealed the presence of oil leakage in an aft direction on the belly and on the engine's exterior. A puddle of oil was found in the pilot's hangar below the area where the engine had been located. No evidence of oil starvation, overheat distress signatures, or a power loss was found during the examination. The attitude indicator had a history of precession. The baggage compartment door and the pilot's lap belt were found unlatched. No maintenance logs were located. The accident occurred 10 days after the pilot was issued a private pilot certificate. The pilot's former flight instructor (CFI) reported that the pilot "tinkered" with his engine in an effort at stopping the leakage. The CFI characterized the pilot as having an aggressive personality.
As the FAA filed it
VFR PILOT DEPARTED INTO IMC. LOST CONTROL IN STEER TURN EXITING. LOW CLOUDS(.4) THE PILOT PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION AND TAXIED IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION TOWARD AN AREA WHERE WITNESSES INDICATED THE RISING SUN AND THE BLUE SKY WERE VISIBLE. THE PILOT ELECTED TO TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 26 TOWARD AN AREA WHERE A 200-FOOT OVERCAST CEILING EXISTED AND THE VISIBILITY WAS 0.75 MILE. THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED INTO THE CLOUDS AND WITHIN 60 SECONDS DESCENDED INTO A MOUNTAINSIDE 0.8 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT WHILE IN A 90-DEGREE LEFT BANK TURN. AN EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THE PRESENCE OF OIL LEAKAGE IN AN AFT DIRECTION ON THE BELLY AND ON THE ENGINE'S EXTERIOR. A PUDDLE OF OIL WAS FOUND IN THE PILOT'S HANGAR BELOW THE AREA WHERE THE ENGINE HAD BEEN LOCATED. NO EVIDENCE OF OIL STARVATION, OVERHEAT DISTRESS SIGNATURES, OR A POWER LOSS WAS FOUND DURING THE EXAMINATION. THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR HAD A HISTORY OF PRECESSION. THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT DOOR AND THE PILOT'S LAP BELT WERE FOUND UNLATCHED. NO MAINTENANCE LOGS WERE LOCATED. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED 10 DAYS AFTER THE PILOT WAS ISSUED A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE. THE PILOT'S FORMER FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) REPORTED THAT THE PILOT "TINKERED" WITH HIS ENGINE IN AN EFFORT AT STOPPING THE LEAKAGE. THE CFI CHARACTERIZED THE PILOT AS HAVING AN AGGRESSIVE PERSONALITY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.