Departure and Flight Plan
Both aircraft departed Wichita on IFR flight plans in VFR weather conditions. They flew northwest toward their respective destinations. Approximately 20 minutes before the accident, both pilots cancelled IFR.
Radar Observations
Air Traffic Control observed the airplanes on radar and reported that the aircraft were "dogfighting back and forth" prior to the collision.
Witness Account
One pilot's roommate, who was also a co-worker of both pilots, reported that the two often cancelled IFR and flew in formation when the weather was VFR. The roommate stated that the pilots frequently videotaped each other and that he had watched some of the tapes. He noted, "it was hard to tell from the videotape how close they were because they could use the zoom feature, etc. You could read the N numbers."
Physical Evidence
Investigation revealed brown paint transfer on the bottom of the right wing of the blue and white airplane, which had separated and was located 1.5 miles from the main wreckage. Light colored scuff marks were found on the top of the left engine nacelle of the brown and white airplane.
Fatalities
Both aircraft and both pilots were killed.