Witness Accounts
A witness who lived approximately half a mile north of the pilot's private field reported hearing the airplane take off. The witness saw the airplane approach from the east and fly over his house, observing the airplane rocking its wings. The witness waved back to the pilot. The aircraft then passed over trees and the witness lost sight of it. Subsequently, the witness heard the airplane's engine 'waver as if he was rocking his wings, and then bang.' The witness described the airplane as flying low that day, stating that '500 feet [above the ground] was optimistic to me.'
Pilot's Wife Account
The pilot's wife, who was visiting a friend's farm where the airplane later crashed, saw her husband tip his wing once as the airplane flew over. She lost sight of the airplane when it flew over her friend's barn. After that, she reported a 'few seconds, 3, 5, or 10 seconds of silence, then I heard the crash.' She noted no unusual engine sounds preceded the silence.
Examination Findings
Examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies. FAA toxicology testing detected the presence of Tetrahydrocannabinol Carboxylic Acid, an inactive metabolite of marijuana, in the pilot's blood and urine.