Originally Posted by
sprag47
Or climbed into overcast to get on top, became disoriented, loss of control and wound up in a dive into the ground...would explain high impact speed.
As Malabo mentioned, the fast cruise before the 180 degree turn is a factor for sure... The last maneuver is a mystery... because an intentional climb through the clouds is nothing special for a well trained IFR pilot... But as somebody mentioned earlier... the recency and the recurrent training in the simulator might save your day in situations like this...