What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft departed tri on special VFR clearance, VFR clearance terminated 17 south of tri, pilot called tri fixed base operator advising he had crashed. (.19) on August 9, 1999, about 0850 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150G, N3187X, registered to advanced flight training, inc., collided with terrain near greeneville, Tennessee, while on a title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage and the private-rated pilot received minor injuries. The flight originated from tri-cities regional airport, blountville, Tennessee, the same day, about 0815. The pilot stated that while en route from blountville, to collegedale, Tennessee, at 3,000 feet, he encountered weather and decided to return to blountville. As he made a left turn back towards blountville, he entered a cloud. He became disoriented and lost control of the aircraft. He began flying the aircraft by reference to the flight instruments and regained control. He climbed to 3,500 feet and made a left turn back toward blountville, where he believed the weather was better. While in cruise flight, in the clouds, flying to the north, he encountered rising terrain and the aircraft collided with trees. The aircraft crashed through the trees and came to rest inverted. He exited the aircraft and called for assistance on a portable telephone. He reported he had no mechanical difficulties with the aircraft. (-23) private sel pilot flying under visual flight rules stated he entered instrument meteorological conditions enroute to chattanooga via knoxville on volunteer VOR from the tri-cities airport (tri). He stated he entered these conditions at about 3000' AGL in and around the Greenville, TN area, about 20 minutes into the flight. The pilot then reported he experienced turbulence which forced him into a 1000 fpm descent. In an attempt to return to tri in a shallow left hand banking turn and to regain altitude, the pilot climbed to 3500' AGL and tuned to the holston mountain VOR, which he stated was now due north of his position. In level flight at 3500' AGL, and in IMC the aircraft collided into the south face of greene mountain at 3500' AGL. (.4) the pilot departed on a special visual flight rules clearance while on a visual flight rules flight. After departure the flight encounte red and entered clouds. While flying in the clouds in an attempt to return to the departure airport, the aircraft collided with trees on rising terrain.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT DEPARTED TRI ON SPECIAL VFR CLEARANCE, VFR CLEARANCE TERMINATED 17 SOUTH OF TRI, PILOT CALLED TRI FIXED BASE OPERATOR ADVISING HE HAD CRASHED. (.19) ON AUGUST 9, 1999, ABOUT 0850 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 150G, N3187X, REGISTERED TO ADVANCED FLIGHT TRAINING, INC., COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN NEAR GREENEVILLE, TENNESSEE, WHILE ON A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM TRI-CITIES REGIONAL AIRPORT, BLOUNTVILLE, TENNESSEE, THE SAME DAY, ABOUT 0815. THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE EN ROUTE FROM BLOUNTVILLE, TO COLLEGEDALE, TENNESSEE, AT 3,000 FEET, HE ENCOUNTERED WEATHER AND DECIDED TO RETURN TO BLOUNTVILLE. AS HE MADE A LEFT TURN BACK TOWARDS BLOUNTVILLE, HE ENTERED A CLOUD. HE BECAME DISORIENTED AND LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. HE BEGAN FLYING THE AIRCRAFT BY REFERENCE TO THE FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS AND REGAINED CONTROL. HE CLIMBED TO 3,500 FEET AND MADE A LEFT TURN BACK TOWARD BLOUNTVILLE, WHERE HE BELIEVED THE WEATHER WAS BETTER. WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, IN THE CLOUDS, FLYING TO THE NORTH, HE ENCOUNTERED RISING TERRAIN AND THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TREES. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED THROUGH THE TREES AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. HE EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE ON A PORTABLE TELEPHONE. HE REPORTED HE HAD NO MECHANICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH THE AIRCRAFT. (-23) PRIVATE SEL PILOT FLYING UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES STATED HE ENTERED INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS ENROUTE TO CHATTANOOGA VIA KNOXVILLE ON VOLUNTEER VOR FROM THE TRI-CITIES AIRPORT (TRI). HE STATED HE ENTERED THESE CONDITIONS AT ABOUT 3000' AGL IN AND AROUND THE GREENVILLE, TN AREA, ABOUT 20 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT THEN REPORTED HE EXPERIENCED TURBULENCE WHICH FORCED HIM INTO A 1000 FPM DESCENT. IN AN ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO TRI IN A SHALLOW LEFT HAND BANKING TURN AND TO REGAIN ALTITUDE, THE PILOT CLIMBED TO 3500' AGL AND TUNED TO THE HOLSTON MOUNTAIN VOR, WHICH HE STATED WAS NOW DUE NORTH OF HIS POSITION. IN LEVEL FLIGHT AT 3500' AGL, AND IN IMC THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED INTO THE SOUTH FACE OF GREENE MOUNTAIN AT 3500' AGL. (.4) THE PILOT DEPARTED ON A SPECIAL VISUAL FLIGHT RULES CLEARANCE WHILE ON A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT. AFTER DEPARTURE THE FLIGHT ENCOUNTE RED AND ENTERED CLOUDS. WHILE FLYING IN THE CLOUDS IN AN ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TREES ON RISING TERRAIN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.