Accident Overview
A night business flight ended in an accident shortly after departure. The aircraft crashed less than 2 miles from the departure airport, approximately 2 hours after the pilot obtained a weather briefing. The investigation revealed that the aircraft impacted the ground in a steep left bank, nose low attitude.
Weather and Briefing
Prior to the flight, the pilot received a weather briefing. At the time of the briefing, a reporting station 22 nautical miles northwest of the accident site reported a broken ceiling at 2,300 feet with good visibility. However, at the time of the accident, about 2 hours later, the same station reported a broken ceiling at 1,000 feet. While there were no witnesses to the accident, residents of a nearby town described the night as dark and cloudy with good visibility.
Investigation Findings
Examination of the wreckage found no evidence of mechanical failure. The investigation also revealed that the pilot and passenger had worked a normal day at their hearing aid business and attended a church meeting until about 2300. They had a business meeting scheduled in Ogallala the following morning.