What happened
A pilot, who was not instrument rated, began a flight under a VFR flight plan despite being informed that weather conditions at the destination airport were IFR. While en route and flying between cloud layers, the weather deteriorated, causing the aircraft to enter IMC.
While receiving vectors toward better weather conditions, the pilot became disoriented and entered a high-speed dive. During the attempt to recover from this dive, approximately 50 percent of the stabilator separated from the aircraft. The pilot managed to fly the aircraft to a nearby private airport, where he performed a hard landing on the grass adjacent to the runway. The pilot was not injured.
The investigation
An inspection of the stabilator surfaces was conducted following the accident. The examination revealed a positive 'G' overload failure. Investigators found no evidence of metal fatigue in the components.