Accident Details
A non-instrument rated pilot departed an airport at 0050 for a return flight home. The pilot had accumulated only three hours of night flying experience and did not obtain a preflight weather briefing. The temperature at the time was 58 degrees Fahrenheit with a dew point of 56 degrees Fahrenheit, indicating conditions favorable for fog formation.
Before departure, the pilot told a friend at the airport that he intended to follow an interstate highway during the flight. The aircraft was operated to fulfill a military reserve commitment.
Wreckage Discovery
The aircraft wreckage was located the following morning eight miles northeast of the departure airport and three-quarters of a mile north of the interstate highway. A state trooper on duty at the time of the accident reported that fog was forming at the time of the accident. The trooper also noted that the accident site was an area where fog is very common.
Findings
The investigation identified that the pilot was not instrument rated, had limited night flying experience, and did not obtain a preflight weather briefing. The fog conditions at the time of the accident may have been a significant environmental factor, but no explicit probable cause was stated in the source.