Mooney M20J-201 | N58156

The DTSB determines the Probable Cause of this accident to be Pilot Error, in that the pilot chose to make a night flight, in the area of mountainous terrain, in IMC conditions, with a forecast freezing level at or near terrain elevation while enroute. It is suspected that the aircraft picked up in flight ice is such circumstance that prevented the aircraft from maintaining altitude. The aircraft was in a constant descent into the face of terrain, it is not likely that the pilot ever saw the terrain, or that he had any other option at that point. Of the four killer categories, this pilot hose to fly in four out of the four not recommended conditions.

Icing, night, IMC . Pilot name not in FAA pilot registry

The DTSB recommends that all pilots of all aircraft pick one: Night, IMC, Ice, Terrain. In many cases, and for some pilots, pick none. The DTSB also recommends that all pilots keep up with each other, and get verbal confirmation prior to embarking on ambitious flights, by conferring with another person who can add caution or a recommendation to wait until daylight, and better weather. In this case, no one communicated with this pilot prior to his departure about shat will lie ahead on this trip, and the likelihood of disaster that was waiting. The DTSB also recommends that informal social network platforms be used as a form of dispatch cross check approval for these type of flights.