Flight Details
A commercial pilot departed on a night instrument flight rules (IFR) flight in actual instrument meteorological conditions. Less than two minutes after departure, the controller observed the airplane in a right turn and asked the pilot to report his altitude. The pilot responded that he thought he was at 3,500 feet and believed he had lost the gyros. He stated he was trying to level out. When the controller informed the pilot that radar showed the airplane making a 360-degree right turn, the pilot acknowledged with "roger."
Radio Communications
Three minutes and 23 seconds after departure, the pilot said, "yeah, I'm having some trouble right now." No further radio communications were received from the flight.
Wreckage Examination
On-scene investigation revealed that both wings and the tail section had separated from the airframe. All fractures of the wing and wing skin were typical of ductile overload, with no evidence of preexisting failures such as fatigue or stress-corrosion. The deformation of the wings indicated an upward failure due to positive loading. No anomalies were noted with the gyro instruments, engine assembly, or accessories.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause was determined to be the pilot's loss of control due to spatial disorientation and the pilot exceeding the design/stress limits of the aircraft. Factors contributing to the accident were the pilot's reported gyro problem, the dark night conditions, and prevailing instrument meteorological conditions.