20091022050559A

ON THURSDAY OCTOBER 22, 2009 AT APPROXIMATELY 1335 EDT N120MS, A CESSNA U206G AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE ELIZABETHTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (0A9) UNDER A PART 91 VFR FLIGHT TO AVERY COUNTY AIRPORT (7A8). THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO PROVIDE MISSIONARY PILOT TRAINING FOR FLIGHT OPERATIONS TO BE CONDUCTED IN AFRICA. THE COMMERCIAL RATED STUDENT PILOT WAS REQUIRED TO HAVE 30 TO 35 HOURS OF MISSIONARY FLIGHT RELATED TRAINING. HE HAD COMPLETED APPROXIMATELY 20 HOURS OF THE REQUIRED TRAINING. HE WAS STARTING HIS LOW LEVEL / MAXIMUM WEIGHT SEGMENT OF HIS TRAINING. HE WAS REQUIRED TO MAKE 3 FLIGHTS AT A LOW LEVEL (500 FEET AGL), WITH THE AIRCRAFT LOADED TO THE MAXIMUM APPROVED WEIGHT; THE FLIGHT ON THURSDAY 10/22/2009 WAS HIS FIRST LOW LEVEL / MAXIMUM WEIGHT TRAINING FLIGHT. THE ATP RATED PILOT / INSTRUCTOR HAD RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING AT 952 EDT. THE OBSERVED WEATHER WAS VMC AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE. AT 1353 EDT THE REPORTED WEATHER AT TRI WAS 10SM, FEW100, SCT180, SCT250, 21/06, A3007. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FUELED AND HAD REPORTEDLY HAD APPROXIMATELY 90 US GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD; IN ADDITION THE AIRCRAFT CONTAINED AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF BALLAST WEIGHT LOADED IN THE CARGO SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT TO SIMULATE AN AIRCRAFT LOADED TO MAXIMUM WEIGHT LIMIT. THE CARTER COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE RECEIVED A CALL AT APPROXIMATELY 1350 EDT BY A PERSON ON THE GROUND IN THE ROAN MOUNTAIN AREA. THIS PERSON REPORTED SEEING AN AIRCRAFT MAKING A LEFT TURN AND CRASHING INTO A WOODED MOUNTAIN AREA THAT IS APPROXIMATELY 13 NM SOUTH OF OA9. THIS PERSON STATED THAT THE ENGINE DID NOT SOUND AS IF IT WAS RUNNING PROPERLY. THE CARTER COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE RESPONDED AND ARRIVED ON SCENE AND LOCATED THE AIRCRAFT AT 1422 EDT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED ON IMPACT AND CONSUMED BY A POST CRASH FIRE. THE TWO PERSONS ONBOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED AND THEIR REMAINS BADLY BURNED. FAA INSPECTORS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FROM THE NASHVILLE FSDO DISPATCHED ON THURSDAY OCTOBER 22, 2009 AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 CDT. INSPECTORS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ARRIVED ON SCENE AT 0900 EDT ON FRIDAY OCTOBER 23, 2009. THE CRASH SITE WAS INSPECTED. THE ENTIRE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED AT THE SITE. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO HAVE FLOWN A HEADING OF 265 DEGREES AT A LEVEL ATTITUDE INTO THE TREES, BEFORE IMPACTING THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND INVERTED AND WITH THE FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT FACING THE INBOUND FLIGHT PATH. THE DAMAGE TO THE THREE BLADED PROPELLER WAS INDICATIVE OF A LOSS OF POWER; NONE OF THE THREE PROPELLER BLADES OR THE SPINNER SHOWED ANY SIGNS OF ROTATIONAL DAMAGE. INSPECTOR STEM OBSERVED CESSNA AIR SAFETY INVESTIGATOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ENSURE CONTINUITY OF ALL CONTROLS. AT THE REQUEST OF THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) INVESTIGATOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED FROM THE CRASH SITE AND RETURNED TO A SECURED AREA AT THE ELIZABETHTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT FOR INSPECTION BY THE NTSB AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AIR SAFETY ANALYST FOR TELEDYNE CONTINENTAL MOTORS, INC. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE ENGINE INSPECTION IT WAS THE OPINION OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AIR SAFETY ANALYST FOR TELEDYNE CONTINENTAL MOTORS, INC. AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE NTSB THAT THE INSPECTION DID NOT INDICATE ANY MECHANICAL FAILURE THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FAIL. THE FIRE DAMAGE TO THE REMAINDER OF THE AIRCRAFT PREVENTED ANY ADDITION INSPECTION THAT MAY HAVE INDICATED THE REASON FOR A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.