Sequence of Events
The flight service station stated that they had personally briefed the student pilot on the weather en route for this night flight and told him VFR was not recommended. At the first stop, he called the co-owner of the airplane and told her he had been flying around storms. At the next stop, he told a policeman he was lost and asked for directions. When the airplane did not arrive, a search was initiated. The airplane had touched down in a cornfield on the left wingtip and cartwheeled.
Weather Conditions
At the time of the accident, weather 18 nautical miles east was partial obscuration with a measured ceiling of 100 feet broken, 1,500 feet overcast, visibility 3 miles in fog, temperature 57 degrees Fahrenheit, winds from 360 degrees at 6 knots, and altimeter 30.12 inches of mercury.
Investigation
No record of the pilot's flight time could be located.