What happened
During the night, around 21:30 EDT, an aircraft was performing a low-altitude maneuver over a heavily wooded area. While the pilot was executing a low pass, the plane struck a tree, which subsequently caused the aircraft to crash into a nearby pond. At the time of the impact, one occupant was operating the controls while another individual on board was preparing to discharge cargo from the cabin. The incident occurred following a flight originating from Colombia.
Both individuals on board sustained serious injuries as a result of the collision and subsequent impact with the water.
Findings
Official investigations into the accident identified several contributing factors related to the pilot's actions during the flight phase. The investigation concluded that the crash was the result of an in-flight collision with an object during maneuvering. Key findings included:
- The aircraft was operating under night conditions with limited visibility.
- The pilot failed to maintain a safe altitude during the maneuver.
- There was a lack of proper judgment and an overconfidence in personal flying ability by the pilot in command.
- The sequence of events involved a collision with trees followed by an uncontrolled descent into terrain/water.