Accident Sequence
The airplane was observed flying low in a westerly direction through a valley approximately 5 miles west of the departure airport. It then struck a utility wire that stretched north and south across the valley and a road. After the wire strike, the airplane continued on a heading of 340 degrees for about 500 feet, at which point the right wing separated from the airframe. The airplane came to rest about 300 feet south of a private home, in the front yard. The home was owned by the pilot/owner's cousin.
Witness Accounts
Two men sitting in a pickup truck near the crash site provided a statement to police. They were in the truck with the engine off and the windows down. The driver reported that they had been sitting there for about 5 minutes when he looked out his left window and saw the airplane coming toward them. The driver stated that he did not recall hearing the engine running on the airplane as it was coming down. He then told his passenger to 'duck he's going to hit us.' Additionally, the driver said he saw the right wing hit a cable, and then the wing come off just before impact with the ground.
Local residents indicated that the pilot/owner of the airplane lived in a house a short distance west of the crash site and had flown around the area often. The airplane had not been seen in the area on the day of the accident.
Post-crash Examination
Rescue workers removed the utility wire that was wrapped around the airframe in order to extract the victim from the cockpit. The wire was found lying to the right rear of the airplane. The right wing, which had separated from the airframe, was located east of the main wreckage. The right wing displayed wire strike marks on the wing strut, and the strut was found separated from the wing. Examination of the engine and propeller did not reveal any discrepancies.