Witness Accounts
A witness reported hearing the distinctive sound of a radial engine just before the crash, followed immediately by a loud crashing noise. The witness observed a large cloud of dust forming, then saw plane parts scattering from west to east across a pasture, and finally the fuselage coming to rest. A second witness saw the airplane hit the ground and a dust cloud form about one-quarter of a mile long and as high as a highline wire. After the dust settled, the second witness saw scattered plane parts, a downed highline wire, and a wing part spilling fuel. The airplane was traveling from west to east and appeared horizontal at impact.
Radar and Medical Information
At 12:59:57, approximately 10 minutes before the accident, air traffic control radar identified a target 8 nautical miles northwest of the accident site at an altitude of 5,500 feet mean sea level. However, this target could not be positively identified as the accident airplane. A postmortem examination of the pilot by a Medical Investigator reported significant natural disease findings, including coronary atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of the arteries) and chronic thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid gland). Both of these diseases can cause sudden cardiac problems including an arrhythmia or heart attack.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause of the accident was the failure of the pilot to maintain clearance.