What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
According to ATC data, the aircraft was enroute from ksbn to kjca at 9000 feet when at 2248Z the aircraft enter a slow descent and turn. Radio and radar contact was lost. Aircraft wreckage was discovered the next morning on a steep wooded area near towee road in Reliance Tennessee. The aircraft suffered an inflight breakup which resulted in five pieces of the aircraft being distributed over a wide area measuring at least 4000 feet. The fuselage (without wings or tail section) was discovered with the pilot in command’s (PIC) {only occupant} remains within the wreckage. The tail section was located approximately 200 feet away. The right horizontal stabilizer and left wing was missing and had not been found during the site investigation. The right wing was located approximately 4000 feet away from the fuselage. The CE-182 had a ballistic recovery system (brs) installed and had been activated. The parachute attachment lines showed evidence of tension failure and the associated parachute was missing.
Two individuals were able to give useful descriptions of the accident. Both described the weather at the time of the accident to be very violent. They described it as a heavy thunderstorm and very windy. The individual whose home was nearest the fuselage impact site stated that he heard a loud “whump” sound which was different from the wind and rain sounds that was normal with the thunderstorm. The timing of the sound aligned with the ATC loss of radar contact. The second individual stated that she saw a “v” shaped object fall from the cloudy sky and “whining” engine noises during the same time frame.
NTSB has not determined the cause and this report may be amended at a later date.
As the FAA filed it
ACCORDING TO ATC DATA, THE AIRCRAFT WAS ENROUTE FROM KSBN TO KJCA AT 9000 FEET WHEN AT 2248Z THE AIRCRAFT ENTER A SLOW DESCENT AND TURN. RADIO AND RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS DISCOVERED THE NEXT MORNING ON A STEEP WOODED AREA NEAR TOWEE ROAD IN RELIANCE TENNESSEE. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED AN INFLIGHT BREAKUP WHICH RESULTED IN FIVE PIECES OF THE AIRCRAFT BEING DISTRIBUTED OVER A WIDE AREA MEASURING AT LEAST 4000 FEET. THE FUSELAGE (WITHOUT WINGS OR TAIL SECTION) WAS DISCOVERED WITH THE PILOT IN COMMAND’S (PIC) {ONLY OCCUPANT} REMAINS WITHIN THE WRECKAGE. THE TAIL SECTION WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET AWAY. THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND LEFT WING WAS MISSING AND HAD NOT BEEN FOUND DURING THE SITE INVESTIGATION. THE RIGHT WING WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 4000 FEET AWAY FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE CE-182 HAD A BALLISTIC RECOVERY SYSTEM (BRS) INSTALLED AND HAD BEEN ACTIVATED. THE PARACHUTE ATTACHMENT LINES SHOWED EVIDENCE OF TENSION FAILURE AND THE ASSOCIATED PARACHUTE WAS MISSING.
TWO INDIVIDUALS WERE ABLE TO GIVE USEFUL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE ACCIDENT. BOTH DESCRIBED THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT TO BE VERY VIOLENT. THEY DESCRIBED IT AS A HEAVY THUNDERSTORM AND VERY WINDY. THE INDIVIDUAL WHOSE HOME WAS NEAREST THE FUSELAGE IMPACT SITE STATED THAT HE HEARD A LOUD “WHUMP” SOUND WHICH WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE WIND AND RAIN SOUNDS THAT WAS NORMAL WITH THE THUNDERSTORM. THE TIMING OF THE SOUND ALIGNED WITH THE ATC LOSS OF RADAR CONTACT. THE SECOND INDIVIDUAL STATED THAT SHE SAW A “V” SHAPED OBJECT FALL FROM THE CLOUDY SKY AND “WHINING” ENGINE NOISES DURING THE SAME TIME FRAME.
NTSB HAS NOT DETERMINED THE CAUSE AND THIS REPORT MAY BE AMENDED AT A LATER DATE.
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 N725AS · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.