Incident Overview
While en route to his destination, the pilot flew through an area of rain and thunderstorms. He informed air traffic control (ATC) that he was using the onboard weather radar, which updated every five minutes, to deviate around the weather. As the airplane was exiting the weather, the pilot reported he was turning direct toward his destination. During a gradual right turn, the pilot reported that he "lost attitude," and shortly thereafter, the left wing separated from the airplane.
Flight Details
The pilot had received a weather briefing prior to the flight, which included advisories and a convective significant meteorological information (SIGMET) for thunderstorms along his route. According to the pilot's logbook, he had accumulated 4,000 hours of total flight experience, which included 167 hours of actual instrument experience. In the previous 90 days, he had accumulated 1.5 hours of actual instrument experience.
Examination Findings
Examination of the airplane revealed no preimpact mechanical anomalies.