Incident
The aircraft departed Albany on an air pollution monitoring program flight destined for Lancaster, carrying two passengers and one pilot. While cruising under marginal weather conditions, the pilot encountered severe turbulence, resulting in a loss of control. The airplane subsequently crashed in Rexville, killing all three occupants.
Probable Cause
According to the official findings, the probable cause of the accident was an uncontrolled collision with the ground during normal cruise due to inadequate preflight preparation. Contributing factors reported include the pilot's decision to continue flight into known areas of severe turbulence and turbulence associated with clouds and thunderstorms.