What happened
During an instrument flight rules cross-country flight, the pilot was transporting three passengers at a cruise altitude of approximately 6,000 feet mean sea level. While communicating with air traffic control regarding weather avoidance, the pilot was provided with a specific heading intended to bypass areas of precipitation. Although the pilot initially acknowledged the instruction, they subsequently noted that the aircraft was heading toward a convective cell.
In response, the controller suggested a route through a gap in the weather, but the pilot chose to deviate toward a different opening that appeared navigable. The controller warned that this chosen path would lead the aircraft into moderate precipitation within one mile. Shortly after, radar data showed the aircraft entering an area of heavy to very heavy precipitation. The aircraft entered a right-hand descending spiral and underwent an inflight breakup while operating in instrument meteorological conditions.
Findings
An investigation of the wreckage showed no signs of mechanical failure or malfunctions that would have hindered the normal operation of the aircraft. The aircraft was equipped with weather radar mosaic imagery derived from NEXRAD data. It is believed the pilot utilized this data to navigate around storm cells. However, due to inherent latencies in the processing and delivery of NEXRAD mosaic imagery, the displayed weather information may have been outdated by the time it reached the cockpit.
Ultimately, the pilot's decision to navigate through hazardous weather based on potentially aged radar data, rather than following the controller's suggested routing, led to the encounter with a rain shower updraft. This encounter resulted in severe turbulence, a loss of control, and the destruction of the aircraft. There were 4 fatalities resulting from the accident.