Mooney M20F — Diablo, CA

What happened

The student pilot departed on a solo cross-country night flight for which he had not received an instructor endorsement. Radar data indicated that, after departure, the pilot established the airplane on a heading toward the destination airport at an altitude about 2,800 ft mean sea level (msl). The airplane continued on course about that altitude until radar contact was lost in the vicinity of the accident site. The wreckage was subsequently located about 1,000 ft below the summit of a 3,849-ft-tall mountain about 16 miles from the departure airport. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Signatures at the accident site and the damage to the airplane indicated a wings-level impact, consistent with controlled flight into terrain.

State park employees near the accident site reported that the weather was foggy and windy with rain at the time of the accident. Review of weather information indicated visual flight rules to marginal visual flight rules conditions prevailed throughout the area, with multiple layers of clouds reported; an atmospheric sounding indicated potential for clouds from about 2,900 ft through 13,000 ft msl. An AIRMET for mountain obscuration conditions was current for the area of the accident site at the time of the accident, and it is likely that the obstruction lighting located on and near the mountain summit was obstructed by clouds. There was no evidence that the pilot obtained preflight weather information from an official, access-controlled source. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain while operating in reduced visibility night conditions.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.