What happened
Prior to departing on a night visual flight rules (VFR) flight, the pilot, who was not instrument rated, contacted a flight service station and received a standard weather briefing. This briefing contained information regarding cloud cover along parts of the intended route, specifically describing solid broken to overcast layers with bases between 3,000 and 4,000 feet MSL and tops at 6,000 feet.
The flight proceeded through the Tri-Cities Regional Airport (TRI) airspace without incident. However, the aircraft later impacted terrain approximately 40 miles northwest of TRI. At the time of the accident, visual meteorological conditions were prevailing at TRI, but snowfall had been reported in the mountainous area near the site of the crash.
The investigation
The wreckage was located at an elevation of 3,050 feet. An analysis of radar data showed that the aircraft was traveling in a northwesterly direction at an altitude of 4,500 feet MSL. The final recorded radar return occurred approximately 6 miles southeast of the accident location.