The aircraft collided with terrain at about 1439 Pacific time. The Private pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was destroyed. Visual conditions prevailed. A witness heard an airplane maneuvering, but could not see it because of low-lying clouds in the area. He said that the engines sounded “steady and smooth.” Then he heard the engine sound increase, “like an airshow performer during a roll.” Then the engines sounds stopped abruptly. The witness got in his truck and drove into the hills on his ranch. He observed a cloud of dust, and found the wreckage.
