Incident Overview
The pilot was flying over the Everglades in conditions he described as 'less than ideal.' As darkness fell, he lost the ability to distinguish the sky from the ground. Upon nearing his destination, he observed low clouds near the airport and opted to descend below the cloud layer. During this descent, the airplane impacted the terrain. The pilot reported that the altimeter indicated 600 feet at the last reading, and that the instrument had been correctly set before the flight.
Conditions
The flight took place during twilight hours, with the pilot noting that the boundary between sky and earth became indistinct. The presence of low clouds near the airport prompted the decision to descend. No official weather data is available in this report.
Pilot Statement
In his account, the pilot stated that conditions were 'less than ideal' and that darkness prevented him from seeing the horizon. He saw 'low clouds' at his destination airport and began a descent to go under them. He reported that the airplane struck the ground during this descent, and the final altimeter reading was 600 feet, with the altimeter set before departure.
Circumstances
The accident occurred over the Everglades, a region of expansive marshland. The timing was during evening hours with diminishing daylight. The source does not specify the aircraft type, number of occupants, or extent of damage.