What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The aircraft crashed into a mountain north of pine mountain club, CA at 6683 feet elevation. The audio tapes indicate that the pilot was trying to stay VFR enroute to sacramento. The pilot was advised by bakersfield approach that he was below the mva approximately 1 minute before the accident. The pilot acknowledged and stated that he could see the ground. The weather at the time as stated by witnesses on the ground was overcast. The clouds were just above the mountain range to the south of pine mountain club when the aircraft flew over, but the clouds were below the mountain tops on the range to the north of pine mountain club where the accident occurred. It was night time/dark. The aircraft wreckage did not indicate any mechanical problems.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO A MOUNTAIN NORTH OF PINE MOUNTAIN CLUB, CA AT 6683 FEET ELEVATION. THE AUDIO TAPES INDICATE THAT THE PILOT WAS TRYING TO STAY VFR ENROUTE TO SACRAMENTO. THE PILOT WAS ADVISED BY BAKERSFIELD APPROACH THAT HE WAS BELOW THE MVA APPROXIMATELY 1 MINUTE BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED AND STATED THAT HE COULD SEE THE GROUND. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME AS STATED BY WITNESSES ON THE GROUND WAS OVERCAST. THE CLOUDS WERE JUST ABOVE THE MOUNTAIN RANGE TO THE SOUTH OF PINE MOUNTAIN CLUB WHEN THE AIRCRAFT FLEW OVER, BUT THE CLOUDS WERE BELOW THE MOUNTAIN TOPS ON THE RANGE TO THE NORTH OF PINE MOUNTAIN CLUB WHERE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. IT WAS NIGHT TIME/DARK. THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE DID NOT INDICATE ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEMS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.