What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
According to preliminary FAA ADS-B data and commercially available flight track data from flight RADAR24, the airplane departed from knoxville downtown island airport
Knoxville, Tennessee, at 0932 local. The flight track was consistent was a direct route of flight toward I35. The reported altitude data for the entirety of the flight was in error.
Recorded audio of the I35 UNICOM frequency was obtained from liveatc. The audio file identified as “ATC I35 nov 3 2022 1330Z” contained one transmission from the accident pilot. At 27 minutes, 4 seconds the following was heard, “Harlan Tucker Guthrie bonanza 84R is two and a half to the west will circle for landing Harlan Tucker Guthrie.”
According to a pilot-rated witness that was at the I35 airport terminal, he heard the accident airplane complete two approaches to runway 8. The first approach seemed to be high, and the second approach sounded “really low”. For both passes the witness reported that the engine noise was a steady piston engine sound, with no noticeable increases or decreases in power.
After the second pass, the witness assumed the airplane had performed a missed approach. The engine sound became more distant from the airport, and he did not hear the accident airplane again, nor did he hear any sort of boom or the accident airplane’s eventual impact with terrain.
The FLIGHTRADAR24 flight track data revealed that the airplane initially completed two passes over runway 8 after entering the I35 airport environment. The third approach was the last attempt to land on runway 8. The final approach path inside of 1.0 nautical mile final generally tracks an extended runway 8 centerline track. The last recorded position at 1009, about .10 nautical mile from the runway 8 threshold, or about .05 nautical mile from the accident site.
The airplane impacted a ravine and steep rock wall about .5 nautical miles from the runway 8 threshold. All major portions of the airframe were located, and a post-crash fire consumed a majority of the cockpit, fuselage, and portions of the left wing.
As the FAA filed it
ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY FAA ADS-B DATA AND COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE FLIGHT TRACK DATA FROM FLIGHT RADAR24, THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED FROM KNOXVILLE DOWNTOWN ISLAND AIRPORT
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, AT 0932 LOCAL. THE FLIGHT TRACK WAS CONSISTENT WAS A DIRECT ROUTE OF FLIGHT TOWARD I35. THE REPORTED ALTITUDE DATA FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE FLIGHT WAS IN ERROR.
RECORDED AUDIO OF THE I35 UNICOM FREQUENCY WAS OBTAINED FROM LIVEATC. THE AUDIO FILE IDENTIFIED AS “ATC I35 NOV 3 2022 1330Z” CONTAINED ONE TRANSMISSION FROM THE ACCIDENT PILOT. AT 27 MINUTES, 4 SECONDS THE FOLLOWING WAS HEARD, “HARLAN TUCKER GUTHRIE BONANZA 84R IS TWO AND A HALF TO THE WEST WILL CIRCLE FOR LANDING HARLAN TUCKER GUTHRIE.”
ACCORDING TO A PILOT-RATED WITNESS THAT WAS AT THE I35 AIRPORT TERMINAL, HE HEARD THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE COMPLETE TWO APPROACHES TO RUNWAY 8. THE FIRST APPROACH SEEMED TO BE HIGH, AND THE SECOND APPROACH SOUNDED “REALLY LOW”. FOR BOTH PASSES THE WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE NOISE WAS A STEADY PISTON ENGINE SOUND, WITH NO NOTICEABLE INCREASES OR DECREASES IN POWER.
AFTER THE SECOND PASS, THE WITNESS ASSUMED THE AIRPLANE HAD PERFORMED A MISSED APPROACH. THE ENGINE SOUND BECAME MORE DISTANT FROM THE AIRPORT, AND HE DID NOT HEAR THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE AGAIN, NOR DID HE HEAR ANY SORT OF BOOM OR THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE’S EVENTUAL IMPACT WITH TERRAIN.
THE FLIGHTRADAR24 FLIGHT TRACK DATA REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE INITIALLY COMPLETED TWO PASSES OVER RUNWAY 8 AFTER ENTERING THE I35 AIRPORT ENVIRONMENT. THE THIRD APPROACH WAS THE LAST ATTEMPT TO LAND ON RUNWAY 8. THE FINAL APPROACH PATH INSIDE OF 1.0 NAUTICAL MILE FINAL GENERALLY TRACKS AN EXTENDED RUNWAY 8 CENTERLINE TRACK. THE LAST RECORDED POSITION AT 1009, ABOUT .10 NAUTICAL MILE FROM THE RUNWAY 8 THRESHOLD, OR ABOUT .05 NAUTICAL MILE FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE.
THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A RAVINE AND STEEP ROCK WALL ABOUT .5 NAUTICAL MILES FROM THE RUNWAY 8 THRESHOLD. ALL MAJOR PORTIONS OF THE AIRFRAME WERE LOCATED, AND A POST-CRASH FIRE CONSUMED A MAJORITY OF THE COCKPIT, FUSELAGE, AND PORTIONS OF THE LEFT WING.
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 N84R · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.