20151009017489A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Columbia Aircraft Mfg LC41-550FG · Erwin, TN · October 9, 2015

Date: October 9, 2015 · 19:15 local
Place: Erwin, TN
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N1058S
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA16FA006
Reported as: Columbia Aircraft Mfg LC41-550FG
Reported engine: Continental TSIO-550-C
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 300 total

N1058SRegistration cancelled Jul 12, 2018 · Columbia Aircraft Mfg LC41-550FGS/N 41722 Airframe modelColumbia Aircraft Mfg LC41-550FG

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The aircraft departed IFR from tys (tyson mcgee, knoxville TN) enroute to bmg ( monroe county airport, bloomington Indiana). The enroute weather was reporting a line of rain and thunderstorms, so the pilot requested a deviation from his flight to head direct east. ATC lost contact with N1085S at 2318Z, 17000 feet and the aircraft altitude started to descend 900 feet then went from 16100 feet to 5700 in less than 40 seconds. The aircraft impacted buffalo mountain in the cherokee national park. The aircraft was located 3 hours later by the sheriff helicopter with no survivors. The aircraft was destroyed following an in-flight breakup,subsequent collision with the ground and was consumed by a post-impact fire.

Additional information: the pilot was IFR rated and advised by air traffic control that his direction of flight was not recommended. The private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED IFR FROM TYS (TYSON MCGEE, KNOXVILLE TN) ENROUTE TO BMG ( MONROE COUNTY AIRPORT, BLOOMINGTON INDIANA). THE ENROUTE WEATHER WAS REPORTING A LINE OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS, SO THE PILOT REQUESTED A DEVIATION FROM HIS FLIGHT TO HEAD DIRECT EAST. ATC LOST CONTACT WITH N1085S AT 2318Z, 17000 FEET AND THE AIRCRAFT ALTITUDE STARTED TO DESCEND 900 FEET THEN WENT FROM 16100 FEET TO 5700 IN LESS THAN 40 SECONDS. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED BUFFALO MOUNTAIN IN THE CHEROKEE NATIONAL PARK. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED 3 HOURS LATER BY THE SHERIFF HELICOPTER WITH NO SURVIVORS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP,SUBSEQUENT COLLISION WITH THE GROUND AND WAS CONSUMED BY A POST-IMPACT FIRE.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: THE PILOT WAS IFR RATED AND ADVISED BY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL THAT HIS DIRECTION OF FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA16FA006Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportErwin, TNThe pilot's decision to fly into a known area of adverse weather, which resulted in the airplane entering a severe thunderstorm and a subsequent loss of control.Oct 9, 2015 · Destroyed