Originally Posted by
JamesNoBrakes
Looks like the marine layer that I've flown in there many times before.
But going in and out of clouds in a broken layer can be very disorientating for someone not prepared or trained for it. Even when prepared for it it can be annoying and not fun. Whether they are on IFR or VFR clearance, they have to transition to IMC flying, which some people are not prepared for, regardless of what their certificate says.
I agree, he lived in southern california and worked in Arizona, could have made that trip with less than 1 percent having any sort of clouds. That marine layer just doesn't look that bad on the day he crashed from pics and metars, but perhaps if he was not used to instrument flying in real life he may have just hoped he would break out and was still flying 'seat of pants.' Engines spinning until impact, but always a possibility of some other rare malfunction. Unfortunately I agree looks like disorientation. Those of us on the East Coast get a lot of real weather and thus practice I guess.