On April 11, 1996, about 0824 mountain daylight time, a privately owned Cessna 177B, registration N35207, collided with terrain after a loss of control following takeoff from runway 30 at the Cheyenne Airport, Cheyenne, Wyoming. The pilot in command, pilot trainee, and rear seat passenger (the pilot trainee's father) were fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions existed at the time, and a visual flight rules flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was a continuation of a transcontinental flight "record" attempt by the youngest "pilot" to date (the pilot trainee), was operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The safety issues discussed in the report include fatigue, the effects of media attention and itinerary pressure, and aeronautical decision making. A recommendation concerning the circumstances of this accident and the importance of aeronautical decision making was made to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the Experimental Aircraft Association, and the National Association of Flight Instructors. Recommendations concerning aeronautical decision making and the hazards of fatigue and were made to the Federal Aviation Administration.?