What happened
A private cross-country flight began under visual meteorological conditions, but weather conditions worsened shortly after departure. While the pilot was cleared for takeoff, air traffic control warned of deteriorating weather approximately 4 miles east of the departure airfield. During the initial climb, the aircraft entered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) characterized by rain showers, precipitation, and a microburst.
Radar tracking indicated that roughly 5.5 minutes after takeoff, the aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 7,800 feet before entering a rapid descending right turn. Data from the onboard Appareo Stratus 2S showed that during the final 15 seconds of flight, the aircraft's attitude became highly erratic, with pitch angles swinging between 45° nose-down and 75° nose-up, and bank angles fluctuating between 170° left and 150° right. During this descent from 5,500 feet to 500 feet, the aircraft eventually impacted the ground 9.6 miles east of the departure point.
Witnesses at the scene observed the aircraft exiting the cloud layer at a high rate of descent. One observer noted the aircraft maintained a 60° nose-down pitch before attempting a high-speed recovery, at which point the left horizontal stabilizer and the remainder of the empennage separated. This was followed by the left wing shearing off near the engine and subsequent ignition. Security camera footage also captured the aircraft trailing black smoke before catching fire.
Findings
Investigation of the wreckage and component damage confirmed that the wings, horizontal stabilizer, and elevators separated from the empennage due to excessive air loads that exceeded the structural design limits. The erratic flight data suggests the pilot was likely hand-flying the aircraft and may have induced these loads while attempting to recover the plane.
Factors contributing to the accident included the pilot's decision to continue the flight under visual flight rules despite encountering IMC, which led to spatial disorientation. While toxicology reports identified the presence of THC and diphenhydramine in the pilot's system, investigators determined it was unlikely these substances contributed to the accident due to postmortem redistribution effects.