What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During cruise flight in instrument meteorological conditions at approximately 7,500 MSL, the attitude indicator began to give erroneous indications that the pilot did not immediately interpret as erroneous. He responded to the indications and the aircraft ended up in a steep nose down attitude losing several thousand feet of altitude. The pilot was able to recover the aircraft once out of the clouds. During the recovery, the design load limits of the aircraft were exceeded, due to the high airspeed, resulting in substantial structural damage to the aircraft's wings.
As the FAA filed it
DURING CRUISE FLIGHT IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AT APPROXIMATELY 7,500 MSL, THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR BEGAN TO GIVE ERRONEOUS INDICATIONS THAT THE PILOT DID NOT IMMEDIATELY INTERPRET AS ERRONEOUS. HE RESPONDED TO THE INDICATIONS AND THE AIRCRAFT ENDED UP IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE LOSING SEVERAL THOUSAND FEET OF ALTITUDE. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO RECOVER THE AIRCRAFT ONCE OUT OF THE CLOUDS. DURING THE RECOVERY, THE DESIGN LOAD LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE EXCEEDED, DUE TO THE HIGH AIRSPEED, RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT'S WINGS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.