Accident
An instrument-rated private pilot departed from his home airport, an uncontrolled field, for a cross-country flight planned under visual flight rules (VFR). According to a ground witness, instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed at the departure airport at the time of takeoff. Shortly after departure, the pilot inadvertently entered IMC and subsequently began an uncontrolled descent, which ended when the aircraft collided with terrain. The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, was killed in the accident.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause of the accident was the pilot's decision to conduct a VFR flight in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and the resulting spatial disorientation, which led to an inadvertent descent into the ground.
Factors
Factors contributing to the accident included darkness, low ceiling, and the pilot's failure to obtain a preflight weather briefing.