Incident Overview
A non-instrument rated pilot received a weather briefing that advised of fog and multiple layered cloud conditions. Despite this, the pilot elected to take off from an airport situated in mountainous terrain.
Witness Accounts
Ground witnesses reported that visibility was approximately 2,000 feet at the time of departure. They observed the aircraft disappear into the clouds about 50 feet above the ground. Shortly after, the sound of the engine RPM increasing was heard, followed by a thud noise.
Discovery of the Aircraft
The airplane was located a day later approximately 1 mile northwest of the airport. The elevation at the discovery site was about 1,500 feet below the airport's elevation. The search for the airplane was impeded by the foggy weather conditions.
Pilot Background
The pilot was not instrument rated, meaning he was not qualified to fly solely by reference to instruments, which is necessary in low visibility conditions such as fog and layered clouds.