At about 2240 Central time, the airplane collided with terrain during an uncontrolled descent. The student pilot and two passengers were fatally injured; the unregistered airplane was destroyed. The unauthorized flight was conducted in night instrument conditions.
According to the airport manager/instructor, the pilot worked as a cleanup person at the airport in trade for flight lessons in a Cessna 172 and completed his first solo flight on April 27, 2012. The airplane’s owner stated he knew the student pilot but never gave him permission to fly his airplane.