What happened
The aircraft departed on a local visual flight rules pleasure flight carrying four occupants. The pilot had approximately 48 gallons of fuel onboard at takeoff. Shortly after departure, the aircraft was observed to break apart while airborne. Multiple witnesses reported seeing the plane dive out of a cloud formation just before the incident. Several observers also noted hearing an explosive noise, along with a high-pitched whining or screaming sound immediately preceding or following the structural failure.
The investigation
Examination of the wreckage revealed that the horizontal stabilators and vertical stabilizer had failed at their root attachments and separated from the airframe. The right stabilator exhibited a downward spanwise camber. Both wings detached from the fuselage, with the outboard four feet of each wing also separating. Damage patterns on the leading edges of the inboard wing sections suggested they had molded against one another during the breakup sequence.
Findings
The aircraft was estimated to be approximately 140 pounds over the maximum gross weight limit at takeoff. At the time of the in-flight breakup, it remained roughly 63 pounds overweight. The structural failures occurred under these overloaded conditions, leading to the complete disintegration of the airframe.
N12345 was overweight, contributing to the structural failure.