19990918027839A

(.19) On September 18, 1999, approx. 1300 hours pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-24, N5673P, collided with terrain on mount gibbs near June lake, California. The airplane, owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The private pilot and his passenger received fatal injuries. The airplane was being operated under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 for the personal flight. The pilot had not filed a VFR flight plan, but family members indicated he was going to fly from petaluma, California to bryce canyon, Utah. The flight originated at the petaluma airport between 1030 and 1130 local time. A local sheriff's officer and the airport manager at mammoth lakes airport stated that upon reflection, the weather conditions were rainy and cloudy with thunderstorms in the area most of the day. The officer said he was located in the town of mammoth lakes, and that there were gusty winds and heavy thunderstorm activity during the afternoon with brief periods where it would quit raining. The airplane impacted terrain on Mt. Gibbs at the 11,760-foot level. The crash site is approx. 25 miles northeast of the mammoth lakes airport. Residents of a community approx. 16 mile es north of June lake indicated that the weather was heavy rain "all day" with low clouds and calm winds. Family members of the pilot stated that the pilot's intended destination was bryce canyon resort for the night, then he was going to fly to the santa fe area to visit a guest ranch. The family was unclear what his return route of flight was going to be. A witness who has an airplane in a hanger at the petaluma airport stated that it was foggy with low ceilings early in the morning and the weather began to clear about 1100 to 1130. He said he watched the pilot takeoff and that the airplane took off "normally" about 1100 to 1130, with nothing unusual about the takeoff that he observed. (-23) a/c collided with the terrain near Mt. Gibbs near June lake, CA. Two occupants were fatally injured. Weather in the area as reported by local police and residents of the June lake community stated that rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds were prevelant. (.4)the pilot departed on a multi state cross-country flight and was reported missing when the airplane failed to arrive at the destination. The pilot originally had filed an IFR flight plan the night before his proposed departure and also obtained a weather briefing. The weather information contained in the briefing was substantially correct. He was delayed due to fog from his estimated time of departure and never refiled or opened the flight plan. Cap search aircraft located the wreckage 1 week after the accident. The aircraft was found at the 11,760-foot level of a mountain and about 1,000 feet below the peak. The site is about 2 miles south of the route of flight filed in his flight plan. Ground witnesses said there were gusty winds, heavy rain, and thunderstorms in the area the day of the crash, with clouds obscuring the mountaintop where the accident occurred. In his flight plan, the pilot had originally filed for 13,000 feet, and pilot reports during the morning and early afternoon indicated that the cloud bases were 10,000 to 12,000 feet over the mountains, with higher layers to 24,000 feet. Conditions were favorable for light to moderate clear and/or mixed icing in clouds and precipitation above 12,000 feet. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures were found during examination of the airframe and engine. A reviw of the pilot's logbook indicated that he had 223 hours of actual instrument time and 71 hours of simulated instrument time. About 4 months preceding the accident, he had logged 3 hours.