What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 10-09-02 at 1056 hours EDT, Mr. Cupp was enroute via an instrument flight plan from houghton lake, mi to knoxville, TN at assigned altitude of 9000 feet when radio communication with ATC was lost. At 1056 hours, radar contact was lost at 7,700 feet. Campbell county, TN EMS received several calls from citizens reporting hearing an aircraft in distress and impact noise. At 1235 hours, airplane wreckage debris was discovered by a sheriff's deputy spread over a large area on pine mountain. (.19) on October 9, 2002, about 1057 eastern daylight time, a Beech K-35, N5350E, registered to a private owner, operating as a 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, experienced an in-flight breakup and crashed in the vicinity of Jellico, Tennessee, on pine mountain. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed. The private pilot was fatally injured. The flight originated from houghton lake, Michigan at 0802. Review of transcripts between the pilot and indianapolis center revealed the pilot had requested and received weather for atlanta, Georgia, and knoxville, Tennessee. Indianapolis center started c oordinating a hand-off of N5350E with atlanta center at 10:48:36. Indianapolis center instructed the pilot to contact atlanta center at 10:56:03. The pilot did not respond to the request. Indianapolis center instructed the pilot to contact atlanta center again at 10:56:13, and to verify that he was level at 9,000 feet. The pilot did not respond to the request. The last radar return observed by indianapolis center was at 10:56:10, and the mode c read out indicated N5350E was at 7,700 feet. At 10:55 and 11:06, the campbell county 911 operator located in la follette, Tennessee, stated he received two phone calls from separate local residents stating that they had heard an airplane fly over their location followed by what sounded like a "plane going down." A sheriff deputy was dispatched and pieces of the airplane wreckage were located at 12:35, in the vicinity of pine mountain. Review of radar data from knoxville approach and atlanta center revealed N5350E was at 8,900 feet at 10:54:40 heading southbound. At 10:55:40, N5350E was in a right turn at 8,600 feet. At 10:55:52, N5350E was at 9,000 feet heading towards the north-northeast. The airplane was last observed on radar at 10:56:10.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 10-09-02 AT 1056 HOURS EDT, MR. CUPP WAS ENROUTE VIA AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN FROM HOUGHTON LAKE, MI TO KNOXVILLE, TN AT ASSIGNED ALTITUDE OF 9000 FEET WHEN RADIO COMMUNICATION WITH ATC WAS LOST. AT 1056 HOURS, RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AT 7,700 FEET. CAMPBELL COUNTY, TN EMS RECEIVED SEVERAL CALLS FROM CITIZENS REPORTING HEARING AN AIRCRAFT IN DISTRESS AND IMPACT NOISE. AT 1235 HOURS, AIRPLANE WRECKAGE DEBRIS WAS DISCOVERED BY A SHERIFF'S DEPUTY SPREAD OVER A LARGE AREA ON PINE MOUNTAIN. (.19) ON OCTOBER 9, 2002, ABOUT 1057 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECH K-35, N5350E, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE OWNER, OPERATING AS A 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, EXPERIENCED AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP AND CRASHED IN THE VICINITY OF JELLICO, TENNESSEE, ON PINE MOUNTAIN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM HOUGHTON LAKE, MICHIGAN AT 0802. REVIEW OF TRANSCRIPTS BETWEEN THE PILOT AND INDIANAPOLIS CENTER REVEALED THE PILOT HAD REQUESTED AND RECEIVED WEATHER FOR ATLANTA, GEORGIA, AND KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE. INDIANAPOLIS CENTER STARTED C OORDINATING A HAND-OFF OF N5350E WITH ATLANTA CENTER AT 10:48:36. INDIANAPOLIS CENTER INSTRUCTED THE PILOT TO CONTACT ATLANTA CENTER AT 10:56:03. THE PILOT DID NOT RESPOND TO THE REQUEST. INDIANAPOLIS CENTER INSTRUCTED THE PILOT TO CONTACT ATLANTA CENTER AGAIN AT 10:56:13, AND TO VERIFY THAT HE WAS LEVEL AT 9,000 FEET. THE PILOT DID NOT RESPOND TO THE REQUEST. THE LAST RADAR RETURN OBSERVED BY INDIANAPOLIS CENTER WAS AT 10:56:10, AND THE MODE C READ OUT INDICATED N5350E WAS AT 7,700 FEET. AT 10:55 AND 11:06, THE CAMPBELL COUNTY 911 OPERATOR LOCATED IN LA FOLLETTE, TENNESSEE, STATED HE RECEIVED TWO PHONE CALLS FROM SEPARATE LOCAL RESIDENTS STATING THAT THEY HAD HEARD AN AIRPLANE FLY OVER THEIR LOCATION FOLLOWED BY WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A "PLANE GOING DOWN." A SHERIFF DEPUTY WAS DISPATCHED AND PIECES OF THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE WERE LOCATED AT 12:35, IN THE VICINITY OF PINE MOUNTAIN. REVIEW OF RADAR DATA FROM KNOXVILLE APPROACH AND ATLANTA CENTER REVEALED N5350E WAS AT 8,900 FEET AT 10:54:40 HEADING SOUTHBOUND. AT 10:55:40, N5350E WAS IN A RIGHT TURN AT 8,600 FEET. AT 10:55:52, N5350E WAS AT 9,000 FEET HEADING TOWARDS THE NORTH-NORTHEAST. THE AIRPLANE WAS LAST OBSERVED ON RADAR AT 10:56:10.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N5350E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.