Incident
A Piper PA-24-250 aircraft collided with terrain while operating under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). The pilot had received a weather briefing from a Flight Service Station (FSS) prior to departure. During the en route phase, radio and radar contact were lost, then subsequently regained. The pilot informed Air Traffic Control (ATC) that the aircraft had been struck by lightning, but elected to continue the flight to the destination.
Loss of Contact
Radar contact was lost again while the pilot was executing a frequency change. Witnesses reported observing the aircraft descending in a vertical spiral before impacting the ground vertically.
Weather Conditions
Weather reports and forecasts indicated the presence of thunderstorms, turbulence, and lightning along the flight route. Two pilot reports described moderate to severe turbulence in the vicinity of the accident site, within 1,000 feet of the aircraft's cruising altitude.
Pilot Background
A review of the pilot's logbook revealed that he was not current for IFR operations.
Investigation
An examination of the wreckage did not disclose damage attributable to the reported lightning strike.