Accident Sequence
During a VOR runway 22 approach, the instrument-rated pilot sighted the runway and canceled the IFR flight plan. While circling to land, the airplane stalled and collided with terrain.
Witness Accounts
Witnesses reported that the airplane made a steep left banking turn about 250 feet above ground level. After rolling out of the turn, the wings rocked back and forth, the nose and right wing dropped below the horizon, and the airplane fell to the ground.
Weather Conditions
Instrument meteorological conditions existed at the time of the accident. Witnesses stated that the ceiling was about 400 to 500 feet above ground level. Weather facilities in the area were forecasting ceilings around 1,000 feet throughout the area.
Occupant Fatalities
All three occupants were killed in the accident.
Probable Cause
The probable cause of the accident was the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while circling to land, resulting in an inadvertent stall. Factors related to the accident were the pilot's excessive maneuvering of the airplane and his insufficient altitude for recovery from the stall.