Synopsis
An accident occurred involving an airplane that had previously landed at an airport. Within 10 to 15 minutes of landing, the pilot departed again. The departure took place at night, with weather reported as "just above" visual flight rule (VFR) minimums. No flight plan was filed by the pilot.
Accident Details
Radar track data showed that after departure, the airplane flew a magnetic heading of approximately 131 degrees at an altitude of about 2,500 feet mean sea level (msl) from the departure airport toward the vicinity of the accident site. The radar data indicated that the airplane entered a left, descending turn before radar contact was lost. This maneuver is consistent with spatial disorientation.
A post-crash inspection of the airplane revealed no preexisting anomalies that could have contributed to the accident.
Weather Conditions
The accident site bordered an area of instrument flight rule (IFR) conditions and was within a region of marginal VFR conditions at the time of the accident. Weather data from a reporting station approximately 100 miles east-northeast of the accident site indicated multiple freezing levels. The first freezing level was at approximately 1,000 feet above ground level (agl), with temperatures below freezing up to 1,500 feet. A second freezing level was observed at approximately 4,746 feet msl.
Conclusion
The evidence points to spatial disorientation as a likely factor, though the investigation did not explicitly state a probable cause.