The airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain at 1605 Eastern time while maneuvering near Gladwin, Mich. The pilot was fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed. Several witnesses reported seeing the airplane maneuvering over their position at a low altitude. The airplane was observed circling in a counterclockwise (left) direction prior to it descending into a wooded area. The airplanes wings quickly banked to the right and left just prior to the airplane descending vertically (nose down) into the trees.
