Flight Departure and Navigation Issues
The pilot departed on a cross-country flight without obtaining a weather briefing. During the flight, he was flying over a broken sky condition and reported that the VOR navigation equipment malfunctioned. After approximately five hours of flight, the pilot became uncertain of his location.
Precautionary Landing Decision
With fuel running low, the pilot decided to land on an interstate highway. He positioned the aircraft approximately 300 feet behind a tractor-trailer truck for a precautionary landing.
Loss of Control and Accident
During the landing roll, the pilot lost control of the aircraft. The airplane exited the right side of the highway and nosed over. The pilot believed that he encountered wake turbulence from the truck ahead.
Pilot Qualifications
The pilot was not instrument rated and reported having only 1.5 hours of instrument flight time.