Accident Overview
An aircraft crashed in an open field after entering an uncontrolled descent. The event occurred following the aircraft's encounter with forecast icing conditions.
Pilot Actions
Prior to the flight, the pilot received weather briefings and filed a flight plan. The flight plan took the aircraft into conditions where icing was forecast. The aircraft was not equipped to handle icing.
Icing Encounter
While en route, the pilot remained at an altitude with icing conditions for approximately 19 minutes. During a 6-minute period within that time, heavy ice was accumulating at a rate of about 2 inches per minute.
Loss of Control
As a result of the ice accumulation, the aircraft became too heavy to maintain altitude or climb. During the subsequent descent, control of the aircraft was lost, and it crashed in an open field.
Conclusion
The accident sequence involved the pilot operating an aircraft not equipped for icing into known icing conditions and remaining in heavy icing, leading to ice buildup that prevented climbing and resulted in a loss of control during descent.