What happened
The pilot departed from an uncontrolled private airstrip carrying his five-year-old daughter as a passenger. Following takeoff, he executed several low-altitude passes near a guest house to allow the child to wave to her grandparents. The aircraft was last observed flying generally northward before banking sharply to the right and disappearing behind a line of trees. Impact occurred in a steep nose-down attitude.
The investigation
Examination of the wreckage revealed an absence of torsional damage to the propeller; one blade remained straight while the other was bent aft, consistent with power loss prior to impact. Inspections of the fuel system showed virtually no fuel remaining in the tanks, lines, or carburetor. No pre-impact part failures or malfunctions were found. An operational check with a replacement propeller allowed the engine to run to 2325 RPM without issue.
Findings
The pilot and his daughter were fatal. A toxicology report indicated the pilot had an alcohol level of 0.040%. The primary factor was fuel exhaustion due to inadequate preflight planning.