What happened
Prior to departure, the pilot received a preflight weather briefing that forecasted low ceilings, icing, and moderate turbulence within the mountainous terrain along the intended route. The pilot initially departed under visual flight rules (VFR).
While en route to the destination, the aircraft encountered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) as predicted in the forecast. In response to the deteriorating weather, the pilot initiated a climb and contacted Air Traffic Control (ATC) to request an IFR clearance. ATC subsequently cleared the pilot for an instrument approach to an airport other than the original destination.
During the execution of this approach, the aircraft descended below the cloud base. At this point, the pilot canceled the IFR clearance and attempted to proceed under VFR. Witnesses reported that the mountain tops were obscured by low ceilings and observed the aircraft flying into the clouds. The aircraft subsequently crashed into trees located in the mountainous terrain.