Accident Details
A pilot on a solo flight from Wichita, Kansas, to Alexandria, Minnesota, encountered poor weather conditions while en route. While cruising at altitude in dense clouds, he lost control of the aircraft. The airplane entered a dive and subsequently crashed in an open field. The aircraft was destroyed, and the pilot, the sole occupant, was killed.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
The official investigation determined the probable cause to be an uncontrolled descent after the pilot continued visual flight rules (VFR) flight into adverse weather conditions. Contributing factors included spatial disorientation, exceedance of the aircraft's design stress limits, in-flight separation of components, a low ceiling, and the disparity between the proposed cruising altitude of 13,500 feet and the estimated ceiling of 600 feet in the accident area.