Incident Overview
The pilot and passengers were en route from Minden, Nevada, to Casper, Wyoming, and stopped in Ogden, Utah, to refuel. Prior to departure, the pilot obtained an updated weather briefing from Flight Service Station and filed an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plan.
Flight and Loss of Control
After takeoff, air traffic control instructed the pilot to climb in a holding pattern to 13,000 feet. Shortly thereafter, the pilot was told to join Victor airway V-6 and resume navigation. The pilot replied that he was in a spiral.
Witness Observations
Witnesses observed the aircraft descending in a near-vertical attitude. They reported that a thunderstorm had just passed overhead with heavy rain at the time of the incident.
Impact
The aircraft impacted the ground in a flat attitude.
Background on Pilot Qualifications
A former certified flight instructor and a Federal Aviation Administration designated examiner, who had worked with the pilot, stated that the pilot should never have been instrument rated. The examiner had placed a restriction on the pilot's multiengine rating, limiting it to 'VFR only.' However, the restriction was removed shortly afterward by an FAA inspector.