What happened
On May 9, 1995, a student pilot and an instructor departed ORD, NE, for a long cross-country flight to Marana, AZ. The flight included several stops for refueling and rest, though the crew obtained only approximately four hours of sleep before continuing the following day. While the original plan involved the instructor purchasing a second aircraft in Marana to return to Nebraska together, the second aircraft was not ready. Consequently, the student pilot proceeded on a solo return flight.
The solo journey began at approximately 1230 CDT on May 10, 1995. The pilot made refueling stops at Roswell, NM, Dalhart, TX, and Garden City, KS. After departing Garden City at 2123 CDT, the aircraft crashed about 12 miles southeast of the destination airport. Radar tracking showed the flight profile disappearing from scope at 0053 CDT in the vicinity of the crash site. The weather during the accident was clear with light winds on a partially moonlit night.
The investigation
An examination of the wreckage revealed that the aircraft impacted the ground in a vertical attitude. There was no indication of engine rotation at the time of impact. Investigators found no fuel present at the engine or within the right wing, despite the extensive damage sustained by the aircraft during the crash.
Further review of the pilot's records showed the student had 19 hours of total flight time prior to the departure. The investigation noted that the pilot had received no training in spin recovery, unusual attitude recovery, or stall recovery at night. Additionally, the pilot's logbook contained no record of training regarding emergency procedures.