Overview
At 0822 local time, an aircraft departed Budel-Kempen Airport from runway 21. After liftoff, the pilot was instructed to make a left turn and cleared to climb to 2,000 feet. While flying in clouds, the autopilot disengaged. The aircraft rolled to the right and entered a steep descent, crashing in an open field in Weert, east of the airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact, killing both occupants. One victim was identified as Paul Evers, director of Alko International.
Investigation
Dutch Safety Board investigators examined the accident. They noted that technical or medical problems could not be ruled out as potential causes. However, they considered it likely that the pilot suffered from spatial disorientation. Contributing factors included the autopilot disengagement, the resulting high workload during a single-pilot flight, and the pilot's lack of training and experience in manually flying advanced aircraft in instrument meteorological conditions during a non-normal situation.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause, as determined by the Dutch Safety Board, is that while technical or medical problems could not be ruled out, it was considered likely that the pilot suffered from spatial disorientation. Factors were: the autopilot disengagement; the high workload following loss of autopilot during a single-pilot flight; and the lack of training and experience on advanced aircraft like the PC-12 in manually flying the aircraft in IMC in a non-normal situation.