DEN00LA046

The pilot said that the purpose of the flight was to make three takeoffs and landings to obtain recent night flying experience. He determined that the weather conditions were suitable for VFR flight. He took off on runway 34 and during the climbout, he encountered fog. He made a 180 degree turn and started a gradual descent. When he was abeam the midfield point, he began to see runway lights. When he was abeam the threshold of the approach end of the runway, he flew out of the fog. The descent continued on the downwind leg and the airplane collided with rising terrain at a point where a turn onto base leg would commence.

On January 18, 2000, approximately 2000 mountain standard time, a Cessna 172, N6445B, was destroyed when it collided with terrain while on the downwind leg about 1 mile south of Bolinder Field, Tooele, Utah. The private pilot, the sole occupant aboard, received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, but instrument meteorological conditions reportedly existed at the accident site. No flight plan had been filed for the personal flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated at Tooele a few minutes before the accident.

In his accident report, the pilot said that the purpose of the flight was to make 3 takeoffs and landings to obtain recent night flying experience. The pilot wrote, "I watched clouds drifting south, sometimes almost blocking the moon. At times the moon was completely clear. I could see I-80 [interstate highway] about 4 miles away to the north, and felt visibility was ok[ay] to fly." The pilot took off on runway 34 and during the climbout he encountered fog. He made a 180 degree turn and started a gradual descent. He said he began to see the runway lights when he was approximately abeam the midfield point, and he flew clear of the fog when he was abeam the approach end of the runway. "Apparently, I never stopped my descent and with the terrain increasing in elevation south of the airport, I hit the ground about where I should have started turning [onto the] base [leg].

The ELT (emergency locator transmitter) reportedly activated on impact and the signal was received by several ground stations and in the air. A ground search was begun and the pilot was located several hours later, wandering around near the wreckage.