Accident
A personal flight with four passengers ended when the airplane impacted terrain in a near-vertical attitude. A witness observed the airplane take off and climb slowly from the airport. Another pilot flying in the vicinity observed the airplane maneuver erratically before the crash. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postimpact fire. The wreckage was confined to a small area in the field, and all major airplane components were accounted for. Extensive thermal damage to the airframe and engine limited the postaccident examination. The impact energy needed to drive the engine into the ground suggested that the engine was producing power at the time of the accident.
Investigation
A postaccident examination of the remaining airframe and engine components did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. Depending on the amount of fuel, baggage, and equipment on board, and the location of the adult passenger, the center of gravity (CG) could have been within or aft of the recommended CG. Since the fuel load and location of the passengers could not be determined or may have shifted during flight, it is not known if loading contributed to the accident. The pilot was not operating with valid medical certification; his second-class medical certificate had expired several years prior to the accident, and Federal Aviation Administration records did not indicate that he had obtained BasicMed medical certification. A pilot-rated passenger was seated in the right front seat. Investigators were unable to determine who was manipulating the flight controls at the time of the accident. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot’s loss of control. However, the reason for the loss of control could not be determined with the available evidence.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause is the pilot's loss of control for reasons that could not be determined with the available evidence.