What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Impacted rising slope of a mountain. (.4)the airplane was on a VFR dusk cross-country flight when it collided with the 1,500-foot level of a hill. Radar data showed the aircraft in a descent from 2,000 feet until radar contact was lost about 1,500 feet MSL, with a final ground speed of 194 knots. The route taken by the pilot was about 5 miles west of the route that the company pilots routinely flew, but while crossing higher terrain, it was a more direct route to the destination. A company pilot flying a few minutes ahead of the accident flight reported it was necessary to descend to between 1,200 and 1,500 feet MSL in order to maintain VFR. A low-pressure system approaching the area from the west had resulted in low stratus, rain, and fog. At the time of the accident, a nearby weather reporting facility reported a 1,300-foot broken ceiling with 5- to 6-mile visibility in light rain and mist. On the evening of the accident, the pilot was scheduled to give a speech as her final examination in an evening college course. She had informed the instructor that she might be late, but had been told that he could not hold the class past its schedu led dismissal time to accommodate her late arrival. (-23)airpac flight 263 departed sts at approximately 1850 LCL and climbed to 2000 ft. MSL on a heading of 143 true. At approximately 1857 LCL the aircraft started a descent with the aircraft impatching rising terrain on the northwest side of burdell Mt. At about the 1400 ft level at lat 38 09'02"; long 122 35'07". The aircraft impacted tress and was destroyed. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The pilot of a second company aircraft flying one minute ahead and to the east of the accident aircraft indicated that weather in the crash site vicinity necessitated him to descend to 1200' to maintain VFR.
As the FAA filed it
IMPACTED RISING SLOPE OF A MOUNTAIN. (.4)THE AIRPLANE WAS ON A VFR DUSK CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH THE 1,500-FOOT LEVEL OF A HILL. RADAR DATA SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT IN A DESCENT FROM 2,000 FEET UNTIL RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST ABOUT 1,500 FEET MSL, WITH A FINAL GROUND SPEED OF 194 KNOTS. THE ROUTE TAKEN BY THE PILOT WAS ABOUT 5 MILES WEST OF THE ROUTE THAT THE COMPANY PILOTS ROUTINELY FLEW, BUT WHILE CROSSING HIGHER TERRAIN, IT WAS A MORE DIRECT ROUTE TO THE DESTINATION. A COMPANY PILOT FLYING A FEW MINUTES AHEAD OF THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT REPORTED IT WAS NECESSARY TO DESCEND TO BETWEEN 1,200 AND 1,500 FEET MSL IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN VFR. A LOW-PRESSURE SYSTEM APPROACHING THE AREA FROM THE WEST HAD RESULTED IN LOW STRATUS, RAIN, AND FOG. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, A NEARBY WEATHER REPORTING FACILITY REPORTED A 1,300-FOOT BROKEN CEILING WITH 5- TO 6-MILE VISIBILITY IN LIGHT RAIN AND MIST. ON THE EVENING OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT WAS SCHEDULED TO GIVE A SPEECH AS HER FINAL EXAMINATION IN AN EVENING COLLEGE COURSE. SHE HAD INFORMED THE INSTRUCTOR THAT SHE MIGHT BE LATE, BUT HAD BEEN TOLD THAT HE COULD NOT HOLD THE CLASS PAST ITS SCHEDU LED DISMISSAL TIME TO ACCOMMODATE HER LATE ARRIVAL. (-23)AIRPAC FLIGHT 263 DEPARTED STS AT APPROXIMATELY 1850 LCL AND CLIMBED TO 2000 FT. MSL ON A HEADING OF 143 TRUE. AT APPROXIMATELY 1857 LCL THE AIRCRAFT STARTED A DESCENT WITH THE AIRCRAFT IMPATCHING RISING TERRAIN ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF BURDELL MT. AT ABOUT THE 1400 FT LEVEL AT LAT 38 09'02"; LONG 122 35'07". THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TRESS AND WAS DESTROYED. THE PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE PILOT OF A SECOND COMPANY AIRCRAFT FLYING ONE MINUTE AHEAD AND TO THE EAST OF THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT INDICATED THAT WEATHER IN THE CRASH SITE VICINITY NECESSITATED HIM TO DESCEND TO 1200' TO MAINTAIN VFR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.