Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The non-instrument rated pilot intended a daytime cross country flight. The passenger arrived late, and the airplane departed after sunset. No record of a weather brief was found. Two hours after takeoff, the flight enentered an area of thundershowers and heavy rain. Residents near the crash site heard the loud engine noise of an airplane passing low overhead. The airplane collided with trees while heading away from its destination in a shallow descent, with 40 degrees right bank.
Source record
Factual narrative
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