Incident Overview
A certified flight instructor (PIC/CFI) and a student pilot were conducting an instructional flight. The airplane was observed at an altitude of 300 feet above ground level (AGL) above the approach end of the active runway. At that point, the airplane executed a sudden left turn with a 45-degree angle of bank. The turn continued back across the runway, and then the nose of the airplane pitched down 90 degrees. The airplane disappeared below the tree line and subsequently collided with terrain.
Occupant Fatalities and Aircraft Damage
Both the PIC/CFI and the student pilot were killed in the accident. The airplane was destroyed.
Maneuver Sequence
Witnesses reported the airplane's abrupt left turn at 300 feet AGL, followed by a continued turn that brought it back across the runway. The nose then pitched downward to a near-vertical attitude before the airplane descended out of sight behind trees and impacted the ground.
Investigation Status
The accident investigation is ongoing. No further details regarding the cause of the maneuver or the aircraft's condition prior to the incident have been released.