What happened
The aircraft was observed descending and leveling off at a low altitude. Witnesses reported that the plane leveled just above the tree line before rolling to the right and diving into wooded terrain. The engine was reported to be running loudly and steadily until the moment of impact.
The crash occurred approximately 35 miles southwest of Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Weather conditions in the area included a ceiling at 2,500 feet broken, visibility of 7 miles, and winds from 300 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 20 knots. A SIGMET was in effect for an area west of the crash site, warning of possible moderate to occasionally severe turbulence below 8,000 feet with low-level wind shear below 2,000 feet.
The investigation
Examination of the aircraft and engine revealed no preimpact part failure or malfunction. Investigators were unable to verify a relationship between the crash and the weather conditions. However, a toxicology test showed that the pilot had 13.9 mg/L of cocaine in his blood.