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Yesterday, Ryan and Mark Sagesar were killed in a wreck in the very early AM just outside Tulsa OK.  Both were members of the local CAP squad.  Ryan, 17, was student body president at Bishop Carroll High in Wichita.  He was awarded a flight scholarship in 2005, and earned his ppl shortly after I did.  I talked to him at this years Wichita Flight Festival, when he was preparing for his checkride, and expressed excitement and nerves.  
Ryan was probably the brightest person I've known, it was apparent his goal was to be in space, and even at 17, was very knowlegeable in rocketry, physics, chemistry, and aerodynamics.
He was flying to Tulsa to attend a concert with his father and two other friends.  He was returning to Wichita when  he crashed at 1:45AM Sunday
This hit me very close to home, not only was he a friend, but I was also in a similar situation that night.  Me and two other friends flew to Ponca City OK to eat dinner at a restaurant.  We took off slightly overweight and immediately when I looked to the south, I thought:  "I shouldn't have done this".  The clouds forcasted broken at 075 were actually overcast at 050.  I even called into KC flightwatch to get as much information as possible.  It was also very moist and hazy.
The plane reportedly made a 180 before crashing.  I have no doubt that he flew VFR into IMC, and flew into a cloud during cruise.  He probably instinctively attempted to decend out of the clouds, then remembered to make a 180, all the while ignoring how fast he is decending.  The rest is obvious.  
Let this be in mind when you or anyone you know go flying in marginal VFR.  I know I'll think twice next time.

A hell of a way to learn such a lesson... I'm very sorry to hear this.

Sorry to hear that.  It's awful to have to learn a lesson like that.  It's things like this that cause the biggest changes in life, and people learn some of the most important lessons from incidents like this.

I'm sorry to hear this too.. Horrible and sad..

I've been researching this accident (what little that's out there)..

When the initial sorrow fades a bit.. there are a few things that pilots and aspiring pilots should talk about, think about, ask questions about...

Now is not the time..

Prayers for the families..

Truly awful.  I wish his family well

The new issue of Flight Training came-and in its footnotes on the first few pages was a paragraph mentioning the crash.  And, lo and behold, they also mentioned the profile they did on him (Ryan) for their previous issue, December '06.  I had forgotten about it, and dug up the magazine to reread.  It truly is strange and saddenning to read such a glowing portrait of a once very alive young man, especially one so eerily similar to myself.  He sounded like an incredibly intelligent guy who was really and truly going somehwere (we both shared the goal of the airforce, though he was a bit braver than myself in aspiring to space however!).  In the end, such a tragic event serves as a reminder to new pilots that the bag of experience isn't always filled before the bag of luck is emptied.  This accident didn't occur because Ryan was careless, stupid, or reckless, or a bad pilot-he died because he was inexperienced.

I don't feel Ryan did anything wrong, but it has nonetheless strengthened my conviction to follow my DPE's advice (he's a 30,000 hour pilot for continental)-don't fly at night until you have your instrument.  As an 80 hour pilot, I am at the very bottom of the food chain, and thus I'm not trying to press this as a superior method, and I certainly am not looking for any kind of debate or rebuttal-this is how this tragedy has affected me, as a 17 year old pilot, with my whole life ahead of me (one that includes a real shot at flying in the military).  I've taken my dad flying, I've taken friends flying, and "what if I crash" has always been in the back of my mind.  Now I know what happens if I crash-I'm just sorry this is how the lesson had to be delivered.  Now I have to hope my mom doesn't find out about any of this...

Thanks for bringing this topic back up, and thanks for your input. If 800 hour pilots

Thanks for the reply Brett.  Almost all of my friend's parents refuse to let them go up with me-and I couldn't agree more.  I constantly tell them that the most dangerous part of the airplane is me, as a low-time pilot.  In aviation, I hold experience far, far above all other things-knowledge, intelligence, skill-saying that it's best not to go up with me doesn't mean I'm not competent, or dangerous, but you have to play the odds.

Boy this really makes me feel bad.

As I said, I was out flying that same night fully loaded (took off above landing weight), with my friends on a night cross country.  Although I did have two other pilots in the plane with me.

I also have around 80 hours, and I've taken people flying.  It seems scary on the ground looking back, but at the time I felt quite confident.  

I haven't flown in over a month, and almost immediately following my finals tomarrow I plan to go fly, and I think this discussion has convinced me to bring my CFI along, just so I can brush up on it all.