What happened
During an instrument departure under instrument meteorological conditions, the aircraft was following a standard instrument departure procedure that required a climbing right turn toward a nondirectional beacon. Following takeoff, the pilot contacted air traffic control to inquire about when to initiate the turn. The controller instructed the pilot to follow the published departure instructions, which included a climbing right turn to overfly the approach end of the runway. This communication was the final transmission from the cockpit.
During the flight, the aircraft performed a 360-degree turn and descended beneath the cloud layer. The aircraft then climbed back into the clouds and entered an inverted loop, ultimately impacting the ground in a near-vertical attitude. There were 0 fatalities reported in the provided text, though the impact was severe.
Findings
Post-accident investigations of the aircraft showed no signs of mechanical failure or malfunction prior to the impact. Cockpit audio recordings indicated that the engines were functioning normally, and propeller signatures were consistent with both engines operating at similar RPMs. The pilot was fully qualified and had recently completed recurrent training.
While the exact cause of the pilot's spatial disorientation could not be definitively established, investigators noted that the anti-collision lights remained active while the aircraft was flying through clouds. This condition may have contributed to the development of flicker vertigo.