Incident Overview
A night cross-country dual instructional flight resulted in a collision with terrain during a training mission. The student pilot had obtained an abbreviated weather briefing prior to departure. The preflight specialist advised that VFR flight was not recommended along a portion of the planned route. Weather forecasts indicated multiple scattered to broken cloud layers from 2,000 feet msl to 6,500 feet, with few clouds at 1,000 feet and tops at 8,000 feet.
The student filed a flight plan for cruise at 3,000 feet msl between islands. The accident site was at an elevation of 1,760 feet msl. The flight departed its home base at approximately 1945. Sunset occurred at 1910, and the end of civil twilight was at 1934.
In-Flight Events
During an en route contact with an FAA Automated Flight Service Station, the student inquired whether the filed destination airport was public or private. The specialist informed the student that it was a private airport. The student subsequently cancelled the flight plan and indicated an intention to return to the departure airport.
Maneuver and Impact
The student pilot was flying the airplane. As weather conditions deteriorated, the certified flight instructor (CFI) advised the student to execute a right turn. Instead, the student made a left, descending turn into a cloud. The CFI then took control of the airplane and initiated a climb; however, the airplane impacted the ground.
Post-Accident Examination
Post-accident examination revealed no mechanical anomalies with the airframe or engine.