Incident Overview
A pilot conducting a night cross-country flight encountered freezing rain while cruising at 5,000 feet above mean sea level (msl). The pilot reported that the windshield had accumulated ice during the flight. As he neared his destination, he initiated a descent in preparation for landing. However, during the descent, the pilot observed that the altimeter did not indicate any movement below 4,000 feet msl.
Descent and Impact
Continuing the descent, the aircraft eventually collided with the ground. At the moment of impact, the altimeter indication abruptly changed to 3,000 feet msl. The accident site terrain elevation was approximately 3,000 feet msl.
Pilot Actions and Equipment
The pilot stated that he did not activate the pitot heat during the flight. The altimeter's static port was located on the aft side of the pitot tube. After the accident, a bench check of the altimeter revealed it functioned normally, except that it indicated between 50 and 120 feet low at various altitudes. There was no evidence of sticking or rough operation at any tested altitude.
Preflight Planning
The pilot did not obtain a weather briefing before departing on the accident flight.