Incident Overview
A student pilot, whose certificate had previously been revoked for taking an airplane without the owner's permission, again took an airplane without authorization for a night flight. Weather conditions at the time were reported as an indefinite 100-foot ceiling with 1/4-mile visibility and fog.
Flight and Impact
Shortly after takeoff, the airplane entered clouds. The pilot then executed a descending turn in an attempt to regain visual contact with the ground. Subsequently, the airplane struck the ground, resulting in extensive damage to the aircraft.
Key Details
The owner of the airplane stated that a spare set of keys was kept in the aircraft; these keys were discovered missing two days before the accident. After the crash, the spare keys were found on the pilot's key ring. Following the accident, the pilot was located and transported to a hospital. A blood sample drawn from the pilot was subjected to toxicological analysis, which indicated an alcohol level of 0.01 g/dL (0.010%).