The airplane was maneuvering about 5,000 feet above the ground when it entered a right, flat spin. It continued the spin to the ground, without deployment of the onboard parachute recovery system. Examination of the wreckage, and a subsequent examination of the engine revealed no mechanical anomalies. The two accident pilots purchased the airplane 6 days before the accident, and had separately received airplane-specific training. The accident flight was their first flight together. The pilot in command, and the pilot at the controls leading up to, and during the accident sequence could not be determined. The pilot's operating handbook stated that the only approved and demonstrated method for spin recovery was the deployment of the parachute recovery system.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

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