What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 31, 2024, about 1837 central daylight time, a Cessna 150F airplane,
privacy data omitted, Was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Wilder, Tennessee. The student pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight.
Initial automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) track data revealed that privacy data omitted departed runway 26 at cross memorial airport – whitson field (csv), crossville, Tennessee about 1817. The airplane proceeded to the northeast, then to the north, and then to the northwest. About one minute before the accident, the airplane turned to the west and ADS-B data ended about 1837, 0.3 miles east of the accident site. The pilot was not communicating with air traffic control prior to the accident and there were no known distress calls received from the aircraft.
The aircraft was not located until late afternoon on November 1, 2024.
On November 2, 2024 inspector from the FAA, NTSB inspector and Textron safety inspector arrive on site. The main wreckage came to rest at approximate coordinates +036.317274/-085.092180. A debris field starting with a tree impact approximately 165 feet from the main wreckage. The scene was documented by photograph taken by all 3 inspectors on site. Aircraft and engine were severely damaged in a post crash fire.
On November 3, 2023 inspectors returned to crash site to evaluate engine and interface with recovery crew. Inspection of the engine revealed no anomalies.
Convective sigmets, and gust airmets were valid for the flight area.
The aircraft impacted 100’ tall trees and came to rest inverted near the base of the final tree impact. Portions of wing skin and windshield fragments were found along a 165’ wreckage path between the
Initial and final tree impacts. The outboard half of the left wing, and portion of the left aileron fracture separated and remained suspended 80’ high in a tree along the wreckage path. Both main landing gear separated, and the right gear continued down the hill about 80’. The empennage fracture
Separated from the aft fuselage at the stabilizer bulkhead. The aft fuselage separated from the cabin section just aft of the baggage compartment. The cockpit and wing roots sustained thermal damage.
The cockpit structure, instrument panel, and avionics were mostly consumed by fire.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 31, 2024, ABOUT 1837 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 150F AIRPLANE,
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR WILDER, TENNESSEE. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT.
INITIAL AUTOMATIC DEPENDENT SURVEILLANCE-BROADCAST (ADS-B) TRACK DATA REVEALED THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED RUNWAY 26 AT CROSS MEMORIAL AIRPORT – WHITSON FIELD (CSV), CROSSVILLE, TENNESSEE ABOUT 1817. THE AIRPLANE PROCEEDED TO THE NORTHEAST, THEN TO THE NORTH, AND THEN TO THE NORTHWEST. ABOUT ONE MINUTE BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRPLANE TURNED TO THE WEST AND ADS-B DATA ENDED ABOUT 1837, 0.3 MILES EAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE PILOT WAS NOT COMMUNICATING WITH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AND THERE WERE NO KNOWN DISTRESS CALLS RECEIVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT LOCATED UNTIL LATE AFTERNOON ON NOVEMBER 1, 2024.
ON NOVEMBER 2, 2024 INSPECTOR FROM THE FAA, NTSB INSPECTOR AND TEXTRON SAFETY INSPECTOR ARRIVE ON SITE. THE MAIN WRECKAGE CAME TO REST AT APPROXIMATE COORDINATES +036.317274/-085.092180. A DEBRIS FIELD STARTING WITH A TREE IMPACT APPROXIMATELY 165 FEET FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE SCENE WAS DOCUMENTED BY PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN BY ALL 3 INSPECTORS ON SITE. AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE WERE SEVERELY DAMAGED IN A POST CRASH FIRE.
ON NOVEMBER 3, 2023 INSPECTORS RETURNED TO CRASH SITE TO EVALUATE ENGINE AND INTERFACE WITH RECOVERY CREW. INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED NO ANOMALIES.
CONVECTIVE SIGMETS, AND GUST AIRMETS WERE VALID FOR THE FLIGHT AREA.
THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED 100’ TALL TREES AND CAME TO REST INVERTED NEAR THE BASE OF THE FINAL TREE IMPACT. PORTIONS OF WING SKIN AND WINDSHIELD FRAGMENTS WERE FOUND ALONG A 165’ WRECKAGE PATH BETWEEN THE
INITIAL AND FINAL TREE IMPACTS. THE OUTBOARD HALF OF THE LEFT WING, AND PORTION OF THE LEFT AILERON FRACTURE SEPARATED AND REMAINED SUSPENDED 80’ HIGH IN A TREE ALONG THE WRECKAGE PATH. BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR SEPARATED, AND THE RIGHT GEAR CONTINUED DOWN THE HILL ABOUT 80’. THE EMPENNAGE FRACTURE
SEPARATED FROM THE AFT FUSELAGE AT THE STABILIZER BULKHEAD. THE AFT FUSELAGE SEPARATED FROM THE CABIN SECTION JUST AFT OF THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. THE COCKPIT AND WING ROOTS SUSTAINED THERMAL DAMAGE.
THE COCKPIT STRUCTURE, INSTRUMENT PANEL, AND AVIONICS WERE MOSTLY CONSUMED BY FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.