At 0918 Pacific time, the airplane impacted trees about mile beyond its departure runway, coming to rest inverted in an open field. The airplane was destroyed. The commercial, instrument-rated pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. Instrument conditions prevailed for the flight to Visalia, Calif. Weather conditions at the time of the accident included calm winds were calm, mile visibility in fog and a ceiling of 100 feet. The FAAs data include a primary target dropping off the radar scope at 800 feet msl. The accident pilot was not the regular pilot for the company, but was named on the insurance policy as an approved pilot-in-command. A witness saw the accident airplane impact the ground on its right side, bursting into flames. The airplane then cartwheeled and came to rest upside down about 100 yards from where it first impacted the ground.
