Accident Overview
On the day of the accident, heavy wet snow was falling. The pilot reported clearing snow off the wings of the aircraft, but not off the horizontal surface of the T-tail. During the takeoff roll, a considerable amount of slush remained on the runway and was thrown up over the aircraft.
Flight and Descent
After taking off, the pilot was able to climb to 1100 feet above mean sea level. The airspeed then dropped to 60 knots, and the landing gear automatically extended. Using his instruments, the pilot kept the wings level and crash-landed in a farm field.
Weather Conditions
The pilot reported the weather at the time of the accident as a 1300-foot ceiling, visibility half a mile with snow, and wind from 020 degrees at 11 knots. Approximately 25 miles northeast of Findlay, Ohio, the 2055 Eastern Standard Time weather was reported as 800-foot broken ceiling, visibility 4 miles with fog and rain, and wind from 020 degrees at 14 knots.