Incident
Two pilots filed a local VFR flight plan and departed from a 10,000-foot-long runway heading east. Shortly after takeoff, the airplane transmitted to the tower that the ceiling was lower than anticipated and that they intended to return for landing. The tower controller acknowledged the transmission and instructed the airplane to report when it reached the base leg of the traffic pattern.
Flight and Communication
The tower controller observed the airplane enter a climbing left turn and disappear into an approaching cloud layer. The controller later noted that the weather was clear in all quadrants with a little overcast and light fog to the east. According to United States Air Force weather observers, a cloud layer at 300 feet with fog was approaching the airport from the northeast at the same time the airplane departed.
Witness Observations
Witnesses in proximity to the crash site reported hearing the airplane but could not see it until it descended vertically out of the low cloud cover. The airplane then collided with terrain and a building in the vicinity of the downwind leg of the traffic pattern.
Examination
Examination of the wreckage revealed no pre-impact anomalies. The pilot in the left seat did not possess an instrument rating.