“He might have been able to punch through to clear air above, but would have been trapped on top with nowhere to go but back to SNA. “
Holy cow...another great point. So, the pilot screwed up the moment he entered the clouds...rather than turning around.
im sure hed flown that route many many times and knew the terrain he was starting to fly over....should have just stayed low, SLOWED DOWN, and just returned to Van Nuys....nope, he just had to get there...