Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot elected to fly an improper altitude. Contributing factors were the pilots attempt to fly VFR into IMC conditions, and the obscured weather.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The crash occurred at the 1100 foot level of a mountainside while the airplane was flying a course roughly parallel to the mountain range. Marginal weather conditions were reported for the area. The pilot's 22-year-old son stated that in those type weather conditions his father would routinely climb up into the soup. Set a loran course for home, and sit back and relax. When close to home he would descend to VFR conditions over the flat coastal area and land.
Source record
Factual narrative
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