Accident Details
A pilot conducting a VFR night cross-country flight struck hilly terrain while descending to his destination airport. The aircraft impacted at an elevation 57 feet below the top of a 2,973-foot ridgeline with the wings level. The flight, between two airports, was a frequent route for the pilot.
Flight Description
Before departure, the pilot informed his girlfriend that he intended to stay out longer than normal for night currency. Following the cross-country flight, he initiated a descent toward his home airport. Extracted GPS data indicated a normal descent profile consistent with previous flights.
Contributing Factors
A local power outage, which also affected the airport, left the pilot descending without the benefit of ground illumination. Additionally, the pilot had not reset his altimeter to the destination airport's current altimeter setting. This resulted in the altimeter indicating a higher altitude than the aircraft's actual height above the terrain.