What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft departed santa paula airport (szp) at dusk, (approx. 1945 hrs) on 4/21/00, flying to chandler, AZ. At appro 2000 hrs, on 4/21/00, aircraft contacted and skimmed an upsloping mountain ridge, approx 1 mile north west of escondido canyon rd., & .5 miles norht of the antelpoe valley fwy (hwy 14), elev approx 3000 ft. aircraft was torn apart engine, propeller, and various parts and pieces departed aircraft. Aircraft skipped off mountain ridge, tunred inverted & impacted next ridge wherw aircraft came to a stop. Aircraft was destroyed, and pilot was fataly injuried. The aircraft accident site was not found until approx 0800 hrs. On 4/22/00, by owner of property. (.4) on a dark night, en route from California to Arizona, the pilot cruised into rising terrain in a mountain pass. The crash site, elevation 3,560 feet mean sea level (MSL), was adjacent to and about 0.5 miles north of a state highway, elevation 3,000. An overcast sky condition existed with cloud bases between 3,200 and 3,400 feet MSL. No one reported witnessing the accident. A hillside resident located about 1/3-mile downslope from the crash s ite reported that, about the time of the accident, his 3,200-foot MSL home was shrouded in ground fog. The pilot was instrument rated but was not current. His last logged instrument flight was 7 years earlier. The FAA reported that the pilot did not file a flight plan, obtain a weather briefing, or communicate with any FAA facility during the flight. The on-scene wreckage examination revealed the airplane initially impacted upsloping terrain in a near level flight attitude. The airplane came to rest upside down about 750 feet from the initial point of ground impact. No evidence of mechanical malfunction was found with the airplane.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED SANTA PAULA AIRPORT (SZP) AT DUSK, (APPROX. 1945 HRS) ON 4/21/00, FLYING TO CHANDLER, AZ. AT APPRO 2000 HRS, ON 4/21/00, AIRCRAFT CONTACTED AND SKIMMED AN UPSLOPING MOUNTAIN RIDGE, APPROX 1 MILE NORTH WEST OF ESCONDIDO CANYON RD., & .5 MILES NORHT OF THE ANTELPOE VALLEY FWY (HWY 14), ELEV APPROX 3000 FT. AIRCRAFT WAS TORN APART ENGINE, PROPELLER, AND VARIOUS PARTS AND PIECES DEPARTED AIRCRAFT. AIRCRAFT SKIPPED OFF MOUNTAIN RIDGE, TUNRED INVERTED & IMPACTED NEXT RIDGE WHERW AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP. AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED, AND PILOT WAS FATALY INJURIED. THE AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT SITE WAS NOT FOUND UNTIL APPROX 0800 HRS. ON 4/22/00, BY OWNER OF PROPERTY. (.4) ON A DARK NIGHT, EN ROUTE FROM CALIFORNIA TO ARIZONA, THE PILOT CRUISED INTO RISING TERRAIN IN A MOUNTAIN PASS. THE CRASH SITE, ELEVATION 3,560 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL), WAS ADJACENT TO AND ABOUT 0.5 MILES NORTH OF A STATE HIGHWAY, ELEVATION 3,000. AN OVERCAST SKY CONDITION EXISTED WITH CLOUD BASES BETWEEN 3,200 AND 3,400 FEET MSL. NO ONE REPORTED WITNESSING THE ACCIDENT. A HILLSIDE RESIDENT LOCATED ABOUT 1/3-MILE DOWNSLOPE FROM THE CRASH S ITE REPORTED THAT, ABOUT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, HIS 3,200-FOOT MSL HOME WAS SHROUDED IN GROUND FOG. THE PILOT WAS INSTRUMENT RATED BUT WAS NOT CURRENT. HIS LAST LOGGED INSTRUMENT FLIGHT WAS 7 YEARS EARLIER. THE FAA REPORTED THAT THE PILOT DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN, OBTAIN A WEATHER BRIEFING, OR COMMUNICATE WITH ANY FAA FACILITY DURING THE FLIGHT. THE ON-SCENE WRECKAGE EXAMINATION REVEALED THE AIRPLANE INITIALLY IMPACTED UPSLOPING TERRAIN IN A NEAR LEVEL FLIGHT ATTITUDE. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN ABOUT 750 FEET FROM THE INITIAL POINT OF GROUND IMPACT. NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND WITH THE 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.