19980130000769A

Student pilot stole aircraft took off and stalled impacting terrain not endorsed for solo or night flight. The student pilot had received three hours of dual instruction, but had not yet soloed. The airplane was removed from its hangar and flown without authorization from its owner. The student pilot's whereabouts were known until about 2347 the previous evening, and the airplane was first noted to be missing about 0530 in the morning. There were no known witnesses to the crash. However, one individual remembered seeing an airplane at 0130, which caught his attention, as it was departing to the east with winds from the west. He said the engine was not very loud, and the airplane was about 3-400 feet off the ground. He remembered seeing red and green lights and the airplane 'bobbing' in the wind, with the wings tipping from side to side. He left for work without paying further attention to the airplane, while it was still west of his house. The house is located about 1-2 blocks southwest of the crash site. FAA inspectors conducted an on-scene investigation and reported that no pre-crash mechanical anomalies were found. Toxicological testing by the FAA of samples from the student pilot confirmed a concentration of 52 mg/dl ethanol in blood, 116 mg/dl in brain fluid, and 152 m g/dl in urine.