Incident Overview
While approximately 8 miles from his intended destination, the pilot of a single-engine aircraft encountered freezing rain conditions. In response, he decided to retrieve a flashlight from his briefcase located in the back seat. The flashlight was intended to aid in inspecting the wings for ice accumulation and consulting navigational charts.
Events Leading to Landing
During the process of leaning over the back seat, the pilot lost his eyeglasses and was unable to locate them. He later reported that without his glasses, he could not properly distinguish his instrument readings and avionics displays. He was aware of several radio towers extending 800 feet above ground level situated between his current position and the destination. However, he noted that he would lose visual contact with the ground when flying above 500 feet above ground level.
Landing Outcome
Faced with these challenges, the pilot elected to perform a precautionary landing on a road. During the landing rollout, the aircraft's left wing struck a fence. The aircraft then slid to a stop in a ditch adjacent to the road.