Accident Overview
The pilot departed the airport at approximately 1330 local time for an unknown destination under visual flight rules (VFR). The accident site was located about 12 nautical miles from the airport; however, the airplane’s flight path and time of the accident are unknown as there was no flight track or recorded data available. There were no witnesses to the accident.
Investigation Findings
Postaccident examination revealed no preimpact anomalies with the airplane or engines that would have precluded normal operation. The accident site signatures were consistent with a loss of control and impact with terrain.
Weather Considerations
Weather conditions after the airplane’s departure suggest the airplane may have encountered an area of deteriorating weather and instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) that reduced visibility and obscured terrain. However, as the accident time is unknown, the investigation was unable to determine if the airplane crashed during a time of deteriorating weather.
Pilot and Aircraft Information
The pilot was operating the airplane with an inoperative GPS, which could have decreased the pilot’s ability to maintain situational awareness. An autopsy was conducted on the pilot; however, due to the condition of the remains, it could not be determined if an impairing condition or natural disease contributed to the accident. An unknown quantity of ethanol detected by toxicological testing may have been from postmortem production; however, the limited results also do not exclude the possibility of ethanol consumption or related impairment.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause is: The pilot’s visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a loss of control in flight and subsequent impact with terrain.