What happened
Radar tracking showed the aircraft performing a figure-eight pattern at an altitude of roughly 3,000 feet AGL. During these maneuvers, the aircraft maintained an airspeed of about 140 knots and a bank angle of approximately 40 degrees. Following the completion of the maneuvers, the radar indicated the plane was in level flight before entering a sudden descent.
A witness observing the flight in visual conditions noted that the aircraft appeared to be traveling at high speed. The observer described seeing the aircraft execute a wide, shallow left turn followed by a turn in the opposite direction. During this sequence, the nose of the aircraft began to drop gradually, eventually leading to a vertical descent and the onset of a spin. The aircraft disappeared from view behind hilly terrain prior to impact.
Post-accident investigation of the wreckage site revealed that the aircraft struck the ground in a gully while maintaining a slight nose-down attitude and a bank angle of about 30 degrees. After the initial collision, the wreckage slid downhill toward the right. The fuselage remained upright at its final position, though the empennage was found to be inverted and twisted to the right.
Findings
An examination of the wreckage provided no evidence suggesting that a mechanical malfunction or system failure contributed to the accident.