Incident
While en route, the pilot arrived at a checkpoint 18 minutes behind schedule. Approximately 25 minutes later, he tuned in an incorrect VOR frequency that he had written down on his flight plan. The station he tuned in was east of the desired station, and the geographic features in the area were similar.
When the pilot realized he was off course, his remaining fuel supply was low. He attempted to fly to the nearest airport, but fuel exhaustion occurred first. He then made an emergency, night approach to a highway, but was forced to land on the shoulder due to vehicular traffic. After touching down, the nosewheel sank into mud and the aircraft nosed over.
Sequence of Events
The pilot had written the incorrect VOR frequency on his flight plan. This led to tuning in a station east of the intended one. The similar geography delayed recognition of the error. By the time the pilot realized the mistake, fuel was critically low. The attempt to reach an alternate airport failed due to fuel exhaustion. The emergency landing on a highway was executed at night, but traffic prevented landing on the roadway itself. The subsequent touchdown on the shoulder resulted in the nosewheel sinking into soft mud, causing the aircraft to nose over.