The airplane was destroyed when it impacted a lake at about 0845 Eastern time. The private pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. Instrument conditions prevailed; no flight plan had been filed. The pilot did not possess an instrument rating. A weather observation taken about 26 nm from the accident site at 0900 included statute mile visibility and an overcast at 300 feet. A witness described weather conditions at the time of the accident as “low cloud cover” with fog drifting across the surface of the lake, and “misty overcast.” Another witness stated that conditions were “very foggy.” The witness stated she heard a “whining, high-speed sound” followed by a “thud.” She noticed water splashing up from the lake, then silence.