Accident Overview
A pilot on a night flight impacted rising terrain while climbing on the crosswind leg after departure. The accident occurred about 0.9 miles from the runway. The pilot had begun his day at his residence around 0700, commuted to work by flying a borrowed airplane to a neighboring city, and after work was dropped off at the airport. He intended to fly either home or to the location where his next day's work was scheduled, as he was due to report at 0730 the following morning.
Weather and Visibility
The night was dark with an overcast ceiling at 800 feet above ground. No moon or stars were visible from the airport. Fire department personnel who responded to the scene reported that the clouds were nearly at ground level and that forward horizontal visibility was between 1/4 and 1/2 mile.
Flight Path
The pilot departed using runway 11 and made a left crosswind turn. While climbing in controlled flight, the aircraft flew into a hill located about 1 mile northeast of the airport. The terrain was upsloping.
Pilot Experience
The pilot had received his private pilot certificate the preceding month. His total flight time was 69.6 hours, which included 3.5 hours at night.
Official Findings
The accident investigation source provided no stated cause for the accident.