Cessna R172 accident near Mertzon, Texas, May 28, 2019

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

The pilot departed on a visual flight rules cross-country flight in night conditions. He had attempted the flight the previous night but turned around because it was “too dark.” The pilot did not arrive at his destination as expected, and the accident site was subsequently located in a remote area, which would have been devoid of cultural lighting at the time of the accident. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction that would have precluded normal operation of the airframe or engine. The pilot did not hold an instrument rating and his recent flight experience could not be determined. The pilot’s family indicated that he had not flown in “a couple of months” before the accident. The night conditions present at the time of the accident, the remote area in which the airplane was operating, and the pilot’s lack of an instrument rating were all conducive to the development of spatial disorientation. It is likely that the pilot became spatially disoriented during the flight, which resulted in a loss of control and impact with terrain.

The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.