What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The student pilot was accomplishing a solo flight from reid-hillview airport located in san jose, CA to paso robles, CA. After arriving at paso robles (prb), CA he filed a flight plan and departed at 1420 hours PST. After takeoff from prb he reviewed his flight plan for king city, CA (kis). He received flight following and continued to fly to kic. He saw the airport and landed at kic at approximately 1500 hours PST. He departed kic at approximately 1510 PST. The pilot stated he thought there was more than six (6) miles visibility. He continued to fly at about 4500 ft to the next check point. The pilot noticed the visibility was going down and he could not see gonzales, CA or salinas, CA. He became nervous and was completely lost. He stated that he became so panicked he forgot about the VOR and fuel remaining. He just wanted to find the ground and land the aircraft. He descended from 4,000 ft to 1100 ft at which time he saw a large field and landed the aircraft. The main landing gear touched the ground first followed by the nose landing gear. The nose landing gear wheel dug into the ground and the aircraft flipped over on its back. Fortunately, the pilot was not injured.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE STUDENT PILOT WAS ACCOMPLISHING A SOLO FLIGHT FROM REID-HILLVIEW AIRPORT LOCATED IN SAN JOSE, CA TO PASO ROBLES, CA. AFTER ARRIVING AT PASO ROBLES (PRB), CA HE FILED A FLIGHT PLAN AND DEPARTED AT 1420 HOURS PST. AFTER TAKEOFF FROM PRB HE REVIEWED HIS FLIGHT PLAN FOR KING CITY, CA (KIS). HE RECEIVED FLIGHT FOLLOWING AND CONTINUED TO FLY TO KIC. HE SAW THE AIRPORT AND LANDED AT KIC AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 HOURS PST. HE DEPARTED KIC AT APPROXIMATELY 1510 PST. THE PILOT STATED HE THOUGHT THERE WAS MORE THAN SIX (6) MILES VISIBILITY. HE CONTINUED TO FLY AT ABOUT 4500 FT TO THE NEXT CHECK POINT. THE PILOT NOTICED THE VISIBILITY WAS GOING DOWN AND HE COULD NOT SEE GONZALES, CA OR SALINAS, CA. HE BECAME NERVOUS AND WAS COMPLETELY LOST. HE STATED THAT HE BECAME SO PANICKED HE FORGOT ABOUT THE VOR AND FUEL REMAINING. HE JUST WANTED TO FIND THE GROUND AND LAND THE AIRCRAFT. HE DESCENDED FROM 4,000 FT TO 1100 FT AT WHICH TIME HE SAW A LARGE FIELD AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR TOUCHED THE GROUND FIRST FOLLOWED BY THE NOSE LANDING GEAR. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WHEEL DUG INTO THE GROUND AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER ON ITS BACK. FORTUNATELY, THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.