What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot contacted tys approach and reported the acft was level at 2,500 feet inbound to the dkx arpt in mountainous terrain, radar and radio contact were lost at 2342Z, and the acft is assumed to have crashed, an alnot was issued and search is underway, all other circumstances are unknown, the acft was last heard from in the vicinity of Fontana, NC. (-23)Cessna 172 N30DS crashed while on a personal flight from jacksonville, FL to knoxville, TN (dkx airport). The pilot impacted rising terrain in the great smokey mountains national park in marginal VMC weather conditions while receiving VFR advisories from tys ATCT personnel. The had contacted tys approach control and reported level at 8,500 feet. He was advised that tops had been reported at 7,000 feet, and the clous vases as approximately 3,400 feet MSL. The pilot said he had ground contact, was familiar with the mountainous terrain and would descend under VFR. Controllers lost radio and transponder contact with the aricraft and a two day search was initiated. The aircraft was found where impacted a 6,000 feet MSL elevation mountain at approximately 4,800 feet MSL.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT CONTACTED TYS APPROACH AND REPORTED THE ACFT WAS LEVEL AT 2,500 FEET INBOUND TO THE DKX ARPT IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, RADAR AND RADIO CONTACT WERE LOST AT 2342Z, AND THE ACFT IS ASSUMED TO HAVE CRASHED, AN ALNOT WAS ISSUED AND SEARCH IS UNDERWAY, ALL OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN, THE ACFT WAS LAST HEARD FROM IN THE VICINITY OF FONTANA, NC. (-23)CESSNA 172 N30DS CRASHED WHILE ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT FROM JACKSONVILLE, FL TO KNOXVILLE, TN (DKX AIRPORT). THE PILOT IMPACTED RISING TERRAIN IN THE GREAT SMOKEY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK IN MARGINAL VMC WEATHER CONDITIONS WHILE RECEIVING VFR ADVISORIES FROM TYS ATCT PERSONNEL. THE HAD CONTACTED TYS APPROACH CONTROL AND REPORTED LEVEL AT 8,500 FEET. HE WAS ADVISED THAT TOPS HAD BEEN REPORTED AT 7,000 FEET, AND THE CLOUS VASES AS APPROXIMATELY 3,400 FEET MSL. THE PILOT SAID HE HAD GROUND CONTACT, WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AND WOULD DESCEND UNDER VFR. CONTROLLERS LOST RADIO AND TRANSPONDER CONTACT WITH THE ARICRAFT AND A TWO DAY SEARCH WAS INITIATED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND WHERE IMPACTED A 6,000 FEET MSL ELEVATION MOUNTAIN AT APPROXIMATELY 4,800 FEET MSL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.