Accident Overview
The accident airplane was observed maneuvering at altitudes between 100 and 500 feet above ground level before impacting the ground. The impact attitude was nearly vertical. No eyewitnesses were present. The pilot commonly used the aircraft for aerial observations of his farmland and for deer spotting in the vicinity.
Aircraft Examination
All major components of the airplane were located at the impact point. The empennage sustained folding and twisting to the left. A thorough examination of the airframe found no preimpact anomalies that would have prevented normal engine operation. One notable finding was a fractured fuselage support tube, which exhibited signs of corrosion. Metallurgists from the NTSB examined the tube and determined that the corrosion did not fully penetrate the thickness of the material. All fractures observed were consistent with overstress separations.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate and had logged 429.7 hours of flight time in the accident airplane. No other flight experience information was provided.
Weather Conditions
The calculated density altitude at the accident site was approximately 5,600 feet. Weather observations indicated the presence of a stationary front extending westward through the region, along with visible moisture and cumulus cloud cover.