Incident Overview
A single-engine airplane, piloted by an instrument-rated commercial pilot, was cruising at 12,000 feet MSL when the pilot requested a descent to a lower altitude. Air traffic control cleared the aircraft to descend to 10,000 feet. After the pilot acknowledged the clearance, radar contact and voice communications were lost. No distress calls were received.
Wreckage and Witness Reports
The wreckage was discovered by a search and rescue helicopter in an open field, having impacted the ground in a near-vertical attitude. Several aural witnesses near the accident site reported hearing a very loud engine noise followed by silence. Residents in the vicinity described the local weather as foggy, with freezing rain and low clouds.
Weather and Icing Conditions
The aircraft was not equipped for flight in icing conditions. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was operating within the boundaries of a current weather advisory that called for rime icing in clouds below 8,000 feet. Pilots of various aircraft in the vicinity reported light to moderate icing in clouds from 16,000 feet to 4,000 feet. According to the NTSB meteorologist, it was likely that the pilot could have encountered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) with light to moderate icing.
Mechanical Examination
Examination of the wreckage revealed no mechanical anomalies.