What happened
At 1809, the pilot obtained a weather briefing from Wichita Flight Service for a planned flight from LaCines, Kansas, to Dodge City, Kansas (DDC). During this briefing, the controller advised that VFR flight was not recommended and that the pilot should expect instrument conditions upon arrival at DDC.
At approximately 1830, a witness observed the aircraft flying southwest over his residence. The witness noted that the airplane turned south and entered a fog bank. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft emerged from the fog heading west in a diving motion. The plane struck the ground and exploded. According to the witness, the engine was running and the aircraft's lights were illuminated at the time of the impact.
At 1856, the National Weather Service located 12 miles southwest of the accident site reported winds from 150 degrees at 13 knots, a broken ceiling of 600 feet, a 1,000-foot overcast layer, and visibility of 5 miles with mist. The lighting conditions were characterized as dark night.
The investigation
An examination of the aircraft revealed no pre-impact anomalies. The pilot held a third-class medical certificate dated December 15, 1999, which included limitations stating the certificate was not valid for night flying or by color signal control.