Aircraft Crashes in Near-Vertical Dive with No Mechanical Failure (N24480)

Accident Description

The aircraft was observed descending in a near-vertical dive at a high rate of speed with no rotation along the roll axis. It crashed nose-first into a newly planted corn field. The accident site was 11 miles from the airport. The pilot was on an unsupervised solo flight but had not been cleared out of the traffic pattern.

Investigation Findings

Post-crash examination of the aircraft structure, flight controls, and engine revealed no evidence of pre-crash mechanical failure or malfunction. The investigation disclosed that the pilot had experienced medical problems with cancer; his brother had died from cancer; his father had died three months prior; and his mother-in-law, with whom he was close, had recently suffered a stroke. The pilot's wife initially stated that she believed the pilot had intentionally killed himself. The medical examiner ruled the manner of death as suicide.