What happened
On the morning of the accident, a pilot and five passengers boarded an airplane for the purpose of a local sightseeing flight. Shortly after departing from the airport, the aircraft began a turn to the west.
A witness who was a co-owner of the aircraft observed what appeared to be a normal takeoff from the ground; however, he noted that the airplane subsequently entered a descending turn toward the west, at which point he lost visual contact with the aircraft. Another witness observing from the airport reported that the aircraft turned west shortly after departure and appeared to stall during the maneuver before descending into the terrain.
The impact with trees and terrain approximately 3/4 mile north of the airport resulted in the destruction of the airplane.
The investigation
Investigators determined the estimated gross weight of the aircraft at takeoff was 3,388 pounds, which was 12 pounds below the maximum allowable gross weight. Due to the inability to determine the exact location or station of the baggage on board, the aircraft's center of gravity could not be calculated.