VFR into IMC · NTSB WPR11FA230
CAMERON LANCAIR LEGACY — Pioneer, CA
| Date | May 18, 2011 |
| Location | Pioneer, CA |
| Aircraft | CAMERON LANCAIR LEGACY (amateur-built) |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Enroute-cruise Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 78 |
| Pilot total time | 6,020 hrs · High time |
| Time in type | 0 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Altitude-Not attained/maintained - C
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Ceiling/visibility/precip-(general)-Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues-Physical environment-Terrain-Mountainous/hilly terrain-Contributed to outcome
What happened
During the personal flight, the airplane impacted mountainous terrain. The witness marks and debris field were consistent with an in-flight collision with trees and terrain. Weather information available for the time of the accident showed suspended precipitation and/or instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) near the accident site and the potential for icing in the accident area. The airplane's altitude could not be identified on radar; therefore, it could not be determined whether the airplane was flying in frozen, liquid, or a mixed-phase of precipitation at the time of the accident. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane likely impacted terrain due to the pilot's decision to continue flight into IMC at an insufficient altitude to clear terrain.