What happened
A flight intended to carry cargo and three passengers experienced several aerodynamic irregularities starting from the initial takeoff. During the takeoff roll, the pilot noted that the tail failed to lift as expected when forward elevator was applied, leading the pilot to suspect an aft-loaded condition. Although the aircraft departed the runway without further incident, the pilot observed the tail oscillating during the en route phase, which was attributed to turbulence.
During the approach to the destination, the pilot executed a left downwind pattern, reducing power and extending flaps to 10 degrees. As the aircraft transitioned to the base leg and slowed to 80 mph, a pitch-up tendency was noted, prompting the pilot to apply full nose-down trim and further extend the flaps. On short final, after deploying full flaps, the aircraft underwent an abrupt pitch-up to approximately 45 degrees. In response, the pilot applied full nose-down elevator, checked the pitch trim, and reduced power to idle. At an altitude of roughly 300 feet, the aircraft entered a stall, the left wing dropped, and the plane entered a 45-degree nose-down dive. The pilot attempted to regain airspeed with full back elevator, but the aircraft ultimately struck forested terrain near the approach end of runway 23 at an elevation of 18 feet.
Findings
Post-accident inspections of the engine and airframe showed no mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have prevented standard operation. Control continuity for the rudder and elevator was confirmed between the cockpit and the control surfaces. However, investigations determined that the center of gravity was located between 3.2 and 5.6 inches beyond the approved aft limit, with the aircraft's estimated gross weight at approximately 7,796 lbs.