Accident Sequence
At 2215, the pilot and three passengers arrived at the airport and boarded the airplane. A witness observed the aircraft depart and waved. According to a police report, a few minutes after takeoff, the witness at the airport received a telephone call reporting a downed airplane near Warrenton Lane. This information was not relayed to local emergency services.
Discovery
The following morning, friends of the pilot and passengers began inquiring about their whereabouts. Airport personnel contacted local police, and the airplane was located approximately 1.1 miles off the departure end of runway 01 in a heavily wooded area.
Wreckage Examination
Examination of the wreckage revealed that the airplane had impacted the ground in a 55-degree nose-down attitude after striking a tree with the left wing. The aircraft came to rest upright on a heading of 090 degrees. Investigators found no mechanical problems during the examination of the wreckage.