What happened
The incident began shortly after the aircraft departed the airport under very poor Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) weather conditions. The pilot initially reported experiencing autopilot problems of an unspecified nature. These issues were quickly followed by additional reports indicating instrument troubles.
Air traffic control radar controllers attempted to assist the pilot by issuing a no-gyro turn to the left. However, immediately after these instructions were issued, the aircraft disappeared from radar coverage. Witnesses on the ground reported hearing the aircraft fly overhead at a very low altitude, accompanied by the sound of the engine running at full power. They also heard the aircraft strike the ground just a short time after passing overhead.
The investigation
A thorough inspection of the wreckage was conducted to determine the cause of the accident. Examination of the controls revealed no malfunction. A separated wing component was recovered from a field located 50 feet from the main wreckage; this wing was found lying inverted and showed no evidence of pre-existing cracks.
Further mechanical examination focused on the vacuum system, which is critical for powering flight instruments. The inspection did not reveal any prior failure in this system. Investigators also noted that no mechanical difficulty could be identified to account for the loss of control experienced by the pilot.
Findings
The investigation concluded that loss of control was the primary issue, despite the absence of mechanical failures. The combination of poor weather and instrument issues likely contributed to the situation, but no specific mechanical fault was found to explain the crash.