Background
The pilot had been hired to ferry a recently purchased airplane from Santa Barbara, California, to Aurora, Colorado. According to the pilot, the last fuel purchase was made in Las Vegas, New Mexico, before continuing to Raton, New Mexico, where the pilot spent the night in the airplane.
Flight and Weather Encounter
The pilot departed Raton at 0700 the following morning. While flying near Colorado Springs, the pilot encountered low ceiling, obscuration, fog, and drizzle. The pilot reversed course, but weather conditions continued to deteriorate. Not being instrument rated, the pilot elected to land atop a mesa.
Landing and Damage
During the rollout on the mesa, the airplane struck a rut and sustained substantial damage. The pilot did not obtain a preflight weather briefing before the flight.