Background
The pilot of a general aviation aircraft did not obtain a weather briefing before departing on a night cross-country flight. The pilot's charts and Airport Facility Directory (AFD) were stored in a briefcase located in the back seat.
Flight and Incident
The flight departed, and approximately eight miles west of the departure airport, the aircraft encountered fog. The pilot became disoriented and lost. He retrieved the AFD from his briefcase and entered coordinates into his LORAN receiver. The receiver indicated that the aircraft was 26 miles southeast of its intended position.
While initiating a turn to return to the correct course, the pilot called his instructor via a portable telephone to obtain current weather conditions. During this call, he lost track of altitude and misread the altimeter. The aircraft subsequently collided with trees.
Aftermath
The aircraft caught fire while the pilot was attempting to recover his briefcase from the back seat. The pilot stated that there was no engine malfunction.
The investigation noted that the pilot had not obtained a weather briefing prior to the flight and that his charts and AFD were not readily accessible. No other causal factors were identified in the pilot's statement.