Before takeoff, the pilot telephoned his brother in North Carolina and asked about the weather. He was told that there was an overcast. The pilot replied that he would "come on and skirt the mountains." No flight plan was filed and there was no FAA record of a weather briefing. The aircraft crashed about 130 miles west of a straight line between the departure point and the destination. Two known witnesses heard the aircraft before it crashed. One described the engine sound as increasing in pitch and then dying. He described the sound as similar to a model aircraft flying in a circle. The other witness reported that the engine stopped and started three times. He also estimated the ceiling as very low and the visibility as very poor. An examination of the crash site revealed that the right wing tip had separated and had come to rest at a distance from the main wreckage. The lower wing skin failed in tension and the top skin was torn and deformed upward. The propeller had separated and was curled & bent.