Accident Overview
A cross-country flight operated by two instrument-rated commercial pilots and one passenger ended when the airplane impacted wooded terrain at high speed. The flight was conducted in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). During the flight, the pilots discussed an electrical malfunction and reported it to air traffic control. Subsequently, the airplane made a descending right turn before hitting the ground.
Investigation Findings
Post-accident examination revealed that most components of the airplane were highly fragmented and impact damaged, making identification difficult. The cockpit voice recorder captured limited discussion of the electrical problem, but investigators were unable to determine the specific nature of the malfunction. It was noted that the flight instruments may have been affected. The descending, turning flight path before impact was consistent with a system malfunction that either directly or indirectly diverted the pilots' attention, leading to a loss of awareness of the airplane's performance in IMC and subsequent loss of control.
Probable Cause
The probable cause of the accident was determined to be an unidentified electrical system malfunction that led to the pilots losing awareness of the airplane's performance in instrument meteorological conditions and resulted in a loss of control of the airplane.