What happened
On February 4, 1990, the aircraft N9235Z was being used as one of three planes for a political campaign in Oklahoma. After landing at McAlester, the pilot left the airport to join a campaign group, while two other pilots remained at the airport to monitor weather conditions. Following the return of the group, a planned flight to Idabel was canceled due to inclement weather.
The pilot of N9235Z, who was flying a non-instrument rated aircraft, decided to return to Ardmore during the night. The pilot noted that the instrument panel lights were inoperative and attempted to find batteries for a flashlight at the airport, but was unsuccessful. Prior to departure, the pilot did not obtain an FAA weather briefing; instead, the pilot asked one of the other pilots about the conditions and was informed that while weather was poor at Ardmore, it was better to the north and northwest.
After takeoff, the aircraft flew for approximately one hour before crashing near Colgate. An individual who heard the crash reported that visibility was poor and the night was very dark, noting that a storm occurred shortly after the aircraft passed overhead. At 20:55 CST, weather at Ardmore included a 600-foot overcast ceiling with 7 miles of visibility in light rain and fog.
The investigation
The aircraft was located on a farm by the landowner. The investigation found that the impact occurred in a steep, nose-down, inverted attitude. No preimpact part failure or mechanical malfunction of the aircraft was found.