Incident Overview
According to witnesses located at a gun club, the airplane was observed performing a high-speed, low-altitude pass from north to south over the club's buildings. After completing this pass, the aircraft maneuvered for a second low-altitude run from east to west.
Collision with Tower
During the second pass, the airplane collided with a radio tower that stood approximately 50 ft tall. The impact caused the right wing to shear off about 10 ft of the tower's top section. The tower's base was triangular in shape, with each side measuring about 2 ft in length. One witness reported that the airplane maintained a straight-and-level attitude up to the moment of impact.
Subsequent Crash
Following the collision, the airplane rolled to the right, reaching an almost inverted orientation. It then continued and impacted trees and terrain approximately 700 ft southwest of the initial collision point.
Witness History
Another witness stated that roughly 3 to 4 years prior to the accident, the pilot—who was a client of the gun club—had "buzzed" over the club and was subsequently told never to do so again.
Mechanical Examination
A postaccident examination conducted on both engines and the airframe found no evidence of any mechanical malfunction or failure that would have prevented normal operation.