At about 1130 Central time, the airplane departed controlled flight and impacted the ground. The airplane was destroyed. The pilot and his two passengers were fatally injured. Instrument conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was in cruise flight at 9000 feet msl in an area of heavy rain when the pilot requested and received permission for a deviation around weather. The controller observed the airplane in a right turn and a rapid descent, then lost radar contact with it. Several witnesses reported hearing a loud noise and seeing pieces of the airplane falling to the ground. At 1137, an automated weather observation 17 miles south of the accident site reported winds from 120 degrees at four knots, visibility of two miles in mist, broken clouds at 300 feet, broken clouds at 1600 feet and overcast clouds at 2200 feet.
