Accident Overview
A pilot contacted air traffic control and reported that he was 'going down.' Controller inquiries failed to reveal the nature of the problem. According to witnesses, the airplane was in level flight at low altitude, then without slowing, it suddenly entered a 30 to 40 degree descent. One witness reported that it continued in the dive with the engine at a high power setting and did not veer from its course, as though the plane was in a deliberate dive. Impact with the ground occurred at a high rate of speed, and the airplane was destroyed.
Background
Friends reported that the pilot had become visibly upset after being accused of buzzing a college campus two days before the accident. Two of his friends, who were aboard during the alleged buzzing, stated that he made statements that his estate/parents would take care of any legal fees they incurred and that the only way they would not be bothered was if he did not land the airplane.
Official Conclusion
A sheriff's report concluded that the occurrence was 'probably suicidal in nature.'