Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot-in-command's intentional flight into an area of low ceilings, and his failure to maintain an altitude sufficient for terrain clearance. Factors which contributed to the accident were: the pilot's overconfidence, the low ceiling and the dark night condition.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The airplane impacted rising terrain 31 mi south of the destination. A witness in the vicinity of the accident site reported seeing the airplane flying at between 100-300 ft agl just below the clouds with an estimated ground visibility at about 1 mi. The pilot had received two weather briefings and was aware of low ceilings. His reply to a 500-ft overcast was '...five hundred up there doesn't bother me because ah, i'm, i'm real familiar with the area.'
Source record
Factual narrative
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