What happened
The accident aircraft was conducting a night cross-country flight in company with two other aircraft. The group was attempting to land at their destination airport, which is situated in hilly terrain. As the three aircraft approached the airport, they encountered broken to overcast cloud conditions approximately 400 feet above ground level and visibility of two miles in rain.
The first two aircraft landed safely. However, the accident aircraft initiated a go-around. The pilot communicated via radio that he had lost sight of the runway after entering a cloud. He later remarked on the presence of the moon while stating he was still in the clouds. The pilot informed the other pilots that he intended to divert to a nearby airport to wait for better weather conditions.
A ground witness heard the aircraft circling several times near the accident site before hearing the sounds of impact. Examination of the wreckage site revealed that the aircraft struck a large pine tree near its top with its right wing. The aircraft then collided with the ground in a steep, inverted, nose-down attitude. The extended wreckage bearing was aligned with the destination airport, which was located eight miles away.