Accident Summary
The airplane was destroyed when it impacted terrain during cruise flight at 0135 central daylight time. The flight was a night cross-country mission required for the pilot's commercial and instrument ratings, involving landings at three airports with one straight-line segment of at least 250 nautical miles.
Pilot's Account
The private pilot reported that on July 6 he woke at 0800 and went to bed at 0200 on July 7, sleeping until about 0730-0800. He departed Grand Forks (GFK), North Dakota, at 1815, flying to Airlake Airport (LVN) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, arriving at 2030. He then flew to Crystal Airport (MIC), arriving at 2130. After fueling with 24 gallons and meeting a friend for a meal, he departed MIC at 2355. He climbed to 4,500 feet mean sea level (msl) and contacted flight service at 0030 to open his flight plan back to GFK. He flew for about 1.5 hours on a northwesterly heading. The pilot recalled seeing Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, in the distance but had no further memory until opening his eyes in a corn field after the crash. He was unable to move but yelled for help when rescue personnel arrived.
Radar Data
Radar track for N248ND showed the airplane flying northwesterly at altitudes between 4,200 and 4,800 feet msl, with a ground speed of about 110 knots. At approximately 0126, the airplane entered descending left turns, completing 6½ turns before radar contact was lost. The last radar return at 0133 indicated an altitude of about 1,900 feet msl (less than 400 feet agl).
Pilot's Statement to NTSB
The pilot told the NTSB: "First, I should not have taken off thinking that I might get tired. I should have requested flight following to keep my attention. Possibly [I] should have recognized symptoms of fatigue and possibly state of consciousness, and landed before losing consciousness."
Aircraft Inspection
Post-accident inspection of the airplane revealed no preexisting anomalies that could be associated with a pre-impact condition.