Flight Description
The purpose of the flight was to take Civil Air Patrol (CAP) cadets on an orientation flight around the local area, returning to the airport. Witnesses observed the airplane taxi to runway 9, proceed onto the runway without performing a run-up, and take off.
Witness Accounts
The captain of a regional airline, which departed after the Cessna, reported that the Cessna climbed to an altitude of about 900 feet, then turned sharply to the left, followed by a sharp turn to the right. The captain stated that the airplane went into a 'steep' right spiral and impacted the ground with no forward movement. Additionally, the captain noted that the wind was down the runway, it was a clear day, and it was not unusually turbulent. Most other witnesses who observed the accident provided similar accounts.