Accident Details
A twin-engine airplane crashed in Cynthiana under night conditions. The aircraft was cruising at an altitude of 16,000 feet when it went out of control, entered a dive, and struck the ground in a near-vertical attitude. The impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate. All three occupants were killed.
Sequence of Events
The aircraft was in cruise flight at night. According to reports, control was lost shortly after the pilot informed air traffic control (ATC) that the airplane was climbing from flight level 150 (FL150) to flight level 170 (FL170). Following the loss of control, the airplane descended rapidly and impacted a field in Cynthiana in a near-vertical orientation.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the exact cause of the accident could not be identified. However, it was reported that control was lost shortly after the pilot informed ATC of the climb from FL150 to FL170.