What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The aircraft made a VFR departure from reid-hillview airport around 0800 local. The ceiling was reported to be 1300 ft. N4696W departed straight out toward pacheco pass which has a summit of 1340FT on hwy 156, the hill tops were obscured. The aircraft impact site, at roughly 1450FT, indicated a wings level, nose slightly high attitude at point of impact. The gear was extended and the flaps also appeared to be extended about 10 degrees or so. The propeller deformation indicated a low power setting at time of impact, and the general fuselage damage was not consistent with a high speed impact. A flight control continuity check was performed, and all primary control cables were intact with the exception of the rudder cables, they had been burnt through postimpact. The elevator trim cables also were burnt throughat about the same longitudinal location as the rudder cables. All indications point to a slow flight configuration that is consistent with the practice of attempting to fly beneath a cloud cover through a mountain pass that resulted in a classic controlled flight into terrain (cfit). Both the pilot and the CFII passenger were instrument rated, but did not file a flight plan, or obtain a wx briefing.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE AIRCRAFT MADE A VFR DEPARTURE FROM REID-HILLVIEW AIRPORT AROUND 0800 LOCAL. THE CEILING WAS REPORTED TO BE 1300 FT. N4696W DEPARTED STRAIGHT OUT TOWARD PACHECO PASS WHICH HAS A SUMMIT OF 1340FT ON HWY 156, THE HILL TOPS WERE OBSCURED. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACT SITE, AT ROUGHLY 1450FT, INDICATED A WINGS LEVEL, NOSE SLIGHTLY HIGH ATTITUDE AT POINT OF IMPACT. THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED AND THE FLAPS ALSO APPEARED TO BE EXTENDED ABOUT 10 DEGREES OR SO. THE PROPELLER DEFORMATION INDICATED A LOW POWER SETTING AT TIME OF IMPACT, AND THE GENERAL FUSELAGE DAMAGE WAS NOT CONSISTENT WITH A HIGH SPEED IMPACT. A FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY CHECK WAS PERFORMED, AND ALL PRIMARY CONTROL CABLES WERE INTACT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE RUDDER CABLES, THEY HAD BEEN BURNT THROUGH POSTIMPACT. THE ELEVATOR TRIM CABLES ALSO WERE BURNT THROUGHAT ABOUT THE SAME LONGITUDINAL LOCATION AS THE RUDDER CABLES. ALL INDICATIONS POINT TO A SLOW FLIGHT CONFIGURATION THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE PRACTICE OF ATTEMPTING TO FLY BENEATH A CLOUD COVER THROUGH A MOUNTAIN PASS THAT RESULTED IN A CLASSIC CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN (CFIT). BOTH THE PILOT AND THE CFII PASSENGER WERE INSTRUMENT RATED, BUT DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN, OR OBTAIN A WX BRIEFING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.