Incident Summary
During a night cross-country flight, the pilot was receiving visual flight rules (VFR) flight following from Eglin Air Force Base approach control. While cruising at 4,500 feet, the pilot obtained weather for the area. He was advised that, according to one-hour-old observations, weather at Eglin was 1,700 feet scattered, and at Crestview there was a 3,000-foot broken ceiling.
Flight Details
The pilot elected to descend through "this thin layer" to 1,500 feet and was advised to remain VFR. Subsequently, he reported at 1,500 feet, then was advised to contact Pensacola approach control because he was leaving Eglin's airspace. The pilot acknowledged, but there was no further radio contact with the aircraft.
Wreckage Examination
A search was initiated, and the aircraft was found five days later where it had crashed in a remote, unlighted area on a bombing range. An examination of the aircraft revealed it had crashed in a steep, nose-down, right-wing-low attitude. No preimpact mechanical problem of the aircraft was found, but it was badly damaged by impact and fire.
Weather Conditions
About 22 miles west at Pensacola, the weather was 800 feet broken, 1,700 feet broken, visibility 7 miles. About 17 miles east at Eglin, the weather was partially obscured, 400 feet thin scattered, 1,500 feet thin scattered, visibility 3 miles with fog. No record was found of a preflight weather briefing for the non-instrument-rated pilot.