What happened
A flight departed from Hutchinson, KS, en route to Colorado Springs, CO. There is no record indicating that the pilot, who was not instrument rated, obtained an FAA weather briefing or filed a flight plan prior to departure.
At the estimated time of the accident, National Weather Service radar indicated a line of severe thunderstorms in the vicinity of Kit Carson, Colorado, with a maximum intensity of level six. The pilot was known to utilize a strike finder for navigation through thunderstorm activity.
The wreckage was located two days after the event, scattered across an open field spanning 0.7 miles. The cabin of the aircraft was gutted by fire.
The investigation
Examination of the wreckage revealed that pieces of the right wing, horizontal stabilizers, and the cabin roof were strewn along the debris path. While the left wing and vertical stabilizer remained attached to the aircraft via control cables, significant structural damage was observed. Specifically, the right wing spar stub was bent down and aft, the left horizontal stabilizer spar stub was bent down and aft, and the right horizontal stabilizer spar stub was bent up and aft.