Background
On the day of the accident, the pilot woke early and flew to Lawrence, Massachusetts, to inspect an aircraft he was considering purchasing. He later spoke with his wife around 1000, stating he had landed at Norwood, Massachusetts, due to snow and poor weather. He hoped to complete the flight before the weather deteriorated. The pilot mentioned he had called for a rental car and was waiting for its arrival to drive home. In a subsequent conversation around 1430, the pilot indicated he was still waiting for the rental car and expressed frustration. They discussed the possibility of renting a local hotel room. The pilot said he would call when the rental car arrived.
Events
At approximately 1612, the pilot requested a special visual flight rules (SVFR) clearance to depart the airport to the southwest. The controller observed that the ceiling was 400 feet overcast and noted what appeared to be up to 2 inches of slush and snow on the airplane's wings and control surfaces. The controller denied the SVFR clearance, advising the pilot of the low ceilings and observed snow/slush contamination. Despite this, the pilot departed without a clearance and turned southwest. No further communications with the aircraft were recorded. Several residents reported seeing and/or hearing a low-flying airplane to local authorities. The last visual sighting and radar contact with the airplane occurred between 1930 and 2000.
Weather conditions reported at an airport in Falmouth, Massachusetts, at 1855 included visibility of 1½ miles in light rain and mist, with ceilings at 300 feet broken and 500 feet overcast. At 1955, visibility remained 1½ miles in light rain and mist, with ceilings of 800 feet overcast. At 2055, visibility was again 1½ miles in light rain and mist, with ceilings of 300 feet overcast.
Aftermath
The pilot held an instrument rating and reported 15,000 hours of total flight experience on his most recent FAA second-class medical certificate. The pilot's body was located in Buzzards Bay on May 27, 2001. As of May 8, 2002, the airplane had not been located.