Primary finding
Probable cause
Inadvertent stall and loss of control due to structural icing. Factors were: icing conditions, and flight into known adverse weather.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
While on an IFR cross country flight to the airport where the pilot and aircraft were based, the flight was cleared to descend, and cleared for an instrument approach to the planned destination, an uncontrolled airport. Radar contact was lost when the aircraft descended to an altitude below radar coverage capability. When the flight plan was not closed, a search was initiated and the aircraft was found approximately 12 hours later, in a field approximately nine miles from the destination airport. Environmental conditions at the time of the accident were dark night, and 600 feet broken clouds with fog. Structural icing conditions were present, and were forecast in the weather briefing.
Source record
Factual narrative
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