What happened
During the second corporate mission of the day, the pilot noted issues with the autopilot system and requested assistance from an avionics technician. Rather than conducting a necessary flight check, the pilot obtained instructions from the technician on how to manually modify the system settings to save time.
Radar data indicates that the aircraft initially maintained a stable altitude of 14,100 feet following its departure. However, the flight path subsequently showed altitude fluctuations ranging from 100 feet above to 200 feet below the assigned cruise level. While the aircraft was deviating from its assigned course, air traffic control issued a 15-degree heading change to avoid other traffic; the pilot acknowledged this instruction, but the aircraft continued to drift off course.
Shortly thereafter, radar contact was terminated, and no further communication was established with the cockpit. Ground observers reported hearing a sequence of two distinct explosions, noting that the aircraft was seen exiting a cloud layer in a vertical orientation. Debris, including the outer six feet of both wings, was recovered approximately 1.25 miles from the primary impact area. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was killed in the accident.
Findings
Investigations into the incident suggest that the pilot's decision to bypass a formal flight check after manually adjusting the autopilot settings was a critical factor in the sequence of events leading to the loss of control.