What happened
Shortly after departing from a 2,600 foot long strip, witnesses observed the aircraft enter into a steep climb. Following this ascent, the aircraft performed what onlookers described as a wingover-type maneuver. This was immediately followed by a near-vertical dive that resulted in ground impact. The total duration of the flight was estimated to be between two and three minutes.
The aircraft was occupied by two individuals. The front seat occupant was a student pilot with approximately 141 total flight hours, 80 of which were logged in this specific make and model; notably, the student had soloed in this airplane just prior to the accident flight. The rear seat occupant was a commercial pilot who held an expired medical certificate and was a previous owner of the aircraft, having logged the majority of his flight time in this particular plane.
At the time of the loss of control and subsequent impact, it was unknown which of the two occupants was manipulating the flight controls.