What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Entered IMC no instrument ratings. Lost control. ATC handling emergency lacking. Non flyable medical drugs found. (-23) no narrative. (.4)the pilot had logged 1,600 total flight hours, of which 1,100 hours were flown in his autopilot equipped airplane. The pilot and his passenger/wife, also a pilot with over 300 flight hours, planned to fly northward from lincoln, California, to bend, Oregon. Neither pilot was instrument rated. Fss provided the pilot with a weather briefing indicating flight precautions for mountain obscurement and thunderstorms. Weather conditions along the planned route included multiple cloud layers at 2,000 and 4,000 feet MSL, and light rain showers. The pilot informed the fss briefer that he could fly in IMC. After a 0740 takeoff the pilot requested and received VFR radar flight following service, encountered the clouds, and commenced flight in IMC while continuing toward his intended destination. At 0759:28, the pilot advised the oakland ARTCC controller that he was in the clouds and on autopilot. The controller advised the pilot to 'use caution and maintain VFR.' The pilot again informed the controller that he was in the clouds and VFR flight was not possible, to which the controller responded at 0800:51 by stating 'maintain VFR.' Then, the controller provided the pilot with dire ctions to an airport ahead with unkown weather conditions. The contoller observed the airplane's 2,400-foot altitude and was aware tha tthe minimum instrument specified in the faa's air traffic control order 7110.65, the controller failed to perform his first duty priority by not provided necessitating a course reversal turn while proceeding in IMC, and he neglected to issue a safety alert for terrain proximity or give climb instructions to an area where the flight under VFR was likely possible. Seconds after the pilot received the turn instructions he became disoriented, lost control of the airplane, and in an inverted attitude impacted the underlying hilly terrain. About 8 months prior to the accident flight the 78-year-OLD pilot'd high blood pressure (180/90) was reduced with prescription drug treatment. Insufficient specimens remained for definitive autopsies or toxicological tests. No mechanical malfunction were found withe airplane.
As the FAA filed it
ENTERED IMC NO INSTRUMENT RATINGS. LOST CONTROL. ATC HANDLING EMERGENCY LACKING. NON FLYABLE MEDICAL DRUGS FOUND. (-23) NO NARRATIVE. (.4)THE PILOT HAD LOGGED 1,600 TOTAL FLIGHT HOURS, OF WHICH 1,100 HOURS WERE FLOWN IN HIS AUTOPILOT EQUIPPED AIRPLANE. THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER/WIFE, ALSO A PILOT WITH OVER 300 FLIGHT HOURS, PLANNED TO FLY NORTHWARD FROM LINCOLN, CALIFORNIA, TO BEND, OREGON. NEITHER PILOT WAS INSTRUMENT RATED. FSS PROVIDED THE PILOT WITH A WEATHER BRIEFING INDICATING FLIGHT PRECAUTIONS FOR MOUNTAIN OBSCUREMENT AND THUNDERSTORMS. WEATHER CONDITIONS ALONG THE PLANNED ROUTE INCLUDED MULTIPLE CLOUD LAYERS AT 2,000 AND 4,000 FEET MSL, AND LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS. THE PILOT INFORMED THE FSS BRIEFER THAT HE COULD FLY IN IMC. AFTER A 0740 TAKEOFF THE PILOT REQUESTED AND RECEIVED VFR RADAR FLIGHT FOLLOWING SERVICE, ENCOUNTERED THE CLOUDS, AND COMMENCED FLIGHT IN IMC WHILE CONTINUING TOWARD HIS INTENDED DESTINATION. AT 0759:28, THE PILOT ADVISED THE OAKLAND ARTCC CONTROLLER THAT HE WAS IN THE CLOUDS AND ON AUTOPILOT. THE CONTROLLER ADVISED THE PILOT TO 'USE CAUTION AND MAINTAIN VFR.' THE PILOT AGAIN INFORMED THE CONTROLLER THAT HE WAS IN THE CLOUDS AND VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT POSSIBLE, TO WHICH THE CONTROLLER RESPONDED AT 0800:51 BY STATING 'MAINTAIN VFR.' THEN, THE CONTROLLER PROVIDED THE PILOT WITH DIRE CTIONS TO AN AIRPORT AHEAD WITH UNKOWN WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE CONTOLLER OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE'S 2,400-FOOT ALTITUDE AND WAS AWARE THA TTHE MINIMUM INSTRUMENT SPECIFIED IN THE FAA'S AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL ORDER 7110.65, THE CONTROLLER FAILED TO PERFORM HIS FIRST DUTY PRIORITY BY NOT PROVIDED NECESSITATING A COURSE REVERSAL TURN WHILE PROCEEDING IN IMC, AND HE NEGLECTED TO ISSUE A SAFETY ALERT FOR TERRAIN PROXIMITY OR GIVE CLIMB INSTRUCTIONS TO AN AREA WHERE THE FLIGHT UNDER VFR WAS LIKELY POSSIBLE. SECONDS AFTER THE PILOT RECEIVED THE TURN INSTRUCTIONS HE BECAME DISORIENTED, LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, AND IN AN INVERTED ATTITUDE IMPACTED THE UNDERLYING HILLY TERRAIN. ABOUT 8 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT THE 78-YEAR-OLD PILOT'D HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE (180/90) WAS REDUCED WITH PRESCRIPTION DRUG TREATMENT. INSUFFICIENT SPECIMENS REMAINED FOR DEFINITIVE AUTOPSIES OR TOXICOLOGICAL TESTS. NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WERE FOUND WITHE AIRPLANE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.