After jumpstarting the airplane, the non-certificated pilot elected to takeoff without the airplane owner's knowledge or permission. A short time later the airplane was located in a wooded area approximately 2 miles northeast of the airport. The airplane's right wing had been separated from the fuselage during the impact. The pilot was later apprehended by law enforcement officers while attempting to retrieve his automobile from the airport. Inspectors from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) later interviewed the pilot at the county jail. When asked what had caused the accident, the pilot responded that he didn't know and that another person had crashed the airplane. Although the pilot reported to FAA inspectors that he had accumulated 200-300 total flight hours, it could not be verified.