What happened
The aircraft departed from the airport and was tracked on radar for approximately nine minutes. During this period, the aircraft entered a right-hand turn and subsequently descended into the terrain. At the time of the accident, instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) were prevailing.
No flight plan had been filed for this cross-country flight. Before departing, the pilot had obtained several weather briefings from a flight service station, which included a specific advisory that VFR was not recommended.
The aircraft was occupied by two persons. The passenger was the owner of the aircraft and held a private pilot certificate. While it was noted that the owner typically occupied the left front seat during flights, investigators could not determine the specific seating positions of the two occupants at the time of the impact.