19980816022249A

Acft aborted takeoff and landed in a field on the side of the rwy. (.19) on August 16, 1998, at 0230 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-181, N30561, was substantially damaged when it went off the end of a taxiway during landing roll. The private pilot was not injured. The 14 CFR part 91 flight departed gary regional airport, gary, Indiana, and was landing at the Michigan City airport, Michigan City, Indiana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. (.4) the pilot reported he had cancelled his IFR flight plan from st. louis, Missouri, to gary, Indiana, and proceeded to Michigan City, Indiana, using flight following. The pilot reported landed at Michigan City at 0330 in light ground fog. He reported that the ground fog was `no problem.' He reported, `upon departing 02, the fog suddenly obscured the runway. I proceeded to cut the power and came to rest in a field adjacent to the runway.' The 0253 EDT weather at benton harbor, Michigan, 31 nautical miles to the northeast, was reporting the temperature as 57 degrees fahrenheit, and the dew point was 57 degrees fahrenheit. The 0254 EDT weather at south bend, Indiana, 22 nautical miles to the east, was reporting the temperature as 62 degrees fahrenheit, and the dew point was 62 degrees fahrenheit. (-23) pilot aborted takeoff when instrument conditions were encountered just after takeoff. Since an IFR flight plan had not been filed, the pilot reduced the power and landed just off the left side of runway 02. Damage to firewall occurred when nose gear struck a small ditch, causing nose gear to crush into the firewall.