Incident Overview
A pilot flying a Mooney M20F was conducting a night instrument landing system (ILS) approach when he became distracted while attempting to locate and tune the airport's common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF). Distracted, the aircraft descended below the glideslope and impacted the ground approximately one mile from the airport.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions with the aircraft. He stated that due to strong headwinds, he had stopped at an intermediate airport earlier and should have remained there, acknowledging fatigue at the time of the accident. The pilot held 1,075 hours of total flight experience, including 990 hours in the same make and model, and 62 hours in actual instrument meteorological conditions.
Weather Conditions
Weather conditions reported at an airport about 35 miles east of the accident site, around the time of the incident, included visibility of 1.5 miles in light drizzle and mist, with broken cloud layers at 400 feet and overcast layers at 700 feet.