What happened
During the commencement of a cross-country flight, an eight-place aircraft carrying nine individuals struck the ground shortly after departing from the airfield. Prior to the flight, the pilot was seen removing snow from the wings, and investigators later identified the presence of granular ice on the aerodynamic surfaces, including the wings and the horizontal stabilizer. The flight occurred under active icing conditions.
Findings
Investigations into the accident revealed several critical issues regarding the aircraft's configuration and the pilot's credentials. The aircraft was operating at a weight that exceeded its maximum gross weight by at least 258 pounds. Additionally, the pilot was operating with an expired student pilot certificate that had lapsed in August 1984. Although a private pilot certificate for multiengine land and instrument operations was found among the pilot's belongings, FAA officials determined this document was not valid. While records from a 1991 medical certificate application suggested the pilot had 4,000 hours of flight experience, this total could not be independently confirmed. The accident resulted in three fatalities and six injuries.