ATL02FA156

The pilot was conducting a mountain flying instructional flight with a certified flight instructor practicing steep turns and emergency course reversal in a canyon after attending a mountain flying course in the morning. The airplane was observed by two witnesses flying at a very low altitude above the trees. The airplane made about five steep left turns, at about a 45-degree angle of bank. The airplane flew back over the witnesses's location and back into the valley. The airplane was observed to start another steep turn to the left and disappeared from view behind the trees. Witnesses heard an increase in engine power followed by the sound of an airplane colliding with trees. Examination of the airplane, flight controls, and engine assembly revealed no anomalies.

History of flight

On August 10, 2002, about 1620 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 182R, N9307X, registered to the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 training flight, crashed on Cross Mountain, located about 2 ½ miles north west of Lake City, Tennessee. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an internal CAP flight plan and a computer weather briefing were obtained. The airplane was destroyed. The airline transport pilot-in-command, airline transport rated certified flight instructor (CFI), and commercial rated pilot passenger were fatally injured. The flight originated from Jacksboro Campbell County Airport, Jacksboro, Tennessee, at an undetermined time. Civil Air Patrol ground search team located the wreckage on August 11, 2002.

The Group Commander for the Group 1 Civil Air Patrol located at Knoxville Downtown Island Airport, Knoxville, Tennessee stated the three pilots attended a mountain flying clinic on the morning of the accident. The pilots were then scheduled to conduct mountain training with a CAP instructor pilot/check pilot. The three pilots departed Knoxville between 1315 to 1330. The Group Commander overheard the CFI tell the other pilots receiving instruction that the commercial pilot passenger would be the first pilot to fly and they would land and switch seats at another airport. The pilots were expected to return at about 1600 according to the CAP Form 104 Mission Flight Plan/Briefing Form completed for the training flight. The crew indicated on CAP Form 104 that they would be flying in Search Area A conducting mountain flying, which includes Lake City, Tennessee, and Cross Mountain.

A witness stated he and a friend were on Cross Mountain scouting for deer when an airplane flew over their location at a very low altitude. The airplane flew into the valley and made about six steep left turns at about 45-degrees angle of bank. The airplane was so low that the witness could see the people in the airplane waving at them. The airplane flew back over their location at about 1620, flew back into the valley, and was observed to make another steep turn to the left before the airplane disappeared from view. They heard the engine go wide open and then heard a sound a few seconds later like trees popping.

Personnel information

Review of information on file with the FAA Airman's Certification Division, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, revealed the pilot-in-command was issued an airline transport pilot certificate on August 17, 2001, with ratings for airplane multiengine land, instrument airplane, and commercial pilot certificate, airplane single engine land. The pilot was type rated in several aircraft. The pilot held a first class medical certificate issued on May 17, 2002, with the medical restriction "must wear corrective lenses." The pilot was issued a Statement of Demonstrated Ability on November 18, 1987 with the limitation "must wear corrective lenses." The pilot reported on his application for the FAA first class medical certificate that he had accumulated 12,500 hours. The pilot's flight logbook was not located. The pilot joined the CAP on November 28, 1978, and his current duty position in Group 1 is mission pilot. Review of CAP Form 5 revealed he completed a recurrency and instrument check ride on June 16, 2001, and he completed a CAP Form 91 mission check ride on September 1, 2001. He completed initial mountain classroom training on the day of the accident.

Review of information on file with the FAA Airman's Certification Division, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, revealed the airline transport pilot rated certified flight instructor was issued an airline transport pilot certificate on August 19,1999, with ratings for airplane multiengine land, instrument airplane, and a commercial pilot certificate, with ratings for airplane single engine land. In addition, he held a flight instructor certificate issued on October 20, 2000, with ratings for airplane single and multiengine land, and instrument airplane. The pilot held a first class medical certificate issued on May 5, 2002, with the medical restriction "must have available glasses for near vision." The pilot reported on his application for the FAA first class medical certificate that he had accumulated 2,600 hours. The pilot joined the CAP on April 23, 1997, and his current duty position is mission check pilot. Review of CAP Form 5 revealed he completed his biennial flight review on November 3, 2001. He completed a CAP Form 91 mission check ride on February 15, 2002. The pilot attended a mountain flying clinic in August 2000, and completed recurrency classroom training on the date of the accident

Review of information on file with the FAA Airman's Certification Division, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, revealed the commercial pilot rated passenger was issued a commercial pilot certificate July 28, 1978, with ratings for airplane multiengine and single engine land, and instrument airplane. The pilot held a second-class medical certificate issued on December 19, 2001, with the medical restriction "must wear corrective lenses for near and distant vision." The pilot reported on his application for the FAA second-class medical certificate that he had accumulated 1,300 hours. The pilot joined the CAP on June 4, 1991, and served as the Squadron Commander and mission pilot for Group 1. Review of CAP Form 5 revealed he completed his biennial flight review on June 11, 2001. He completed a CAP Form 91 mission check ride on June 16, 2001. He completed recurrency mountain classroom training on the date of the accident.

Aircraft information

Review of aircraft maintenance records revealed N9307X last recorded annual inspection was conducted on May 15, 2002, and the airplane had accumulated 72 hours since the annual inspection. The engine was overhauled on January 1, 2001, and the engine had accumulated 568.5 hours since top overhaul. The total time since major overhaul is 1,903.1 hours. The propeller was overhauled on March 10, 2000, due to the propeller picking up a tie down rope during a taxi incident. The airframe had accumulated 3,135.3 total hours at the time of the accident.

Meteorological information

The nearest weather reporting facility at the time of the accident was McGhee Tyson Airport Knoxville, Tennessee. The 1553 surface weather observation was: 700 scattered, visibility 10 miles, temperature 87-degrees Fahrenheit, dew point temperature 64-degrees Fahrenheit, wind 260-degrees at 9 knots, and altimeter 30.12.

Wreckage and impact information

The wreckage of N9307X was located on the side of Cross Mountain (Elevation 3,534 feet) in a heavily wooded area about 2.5 nautical miles north west of Lake City, Tennessee. Cross Mountain makes up one side of a valley/canyon.

Examination of the crash site revealed the airplane collided with a tree 90 feet tall at an elevation of 2,649 feet on a heading of 112 degrees magnetic. The crash debris line on a heading of 090-degrees magnetic. The left elevator was separated at the outboard hinge and was 147 feet from the initial point of impact and was located left of the crash debris line. A section of the left elevator, not including the counterweight, and a outboard segment of the left horizontal stabilizer were located to the right of the crash debris line 159 feet from the initial point of impact. A tree impact was noted inboard of the horizontal stabilizer tip. Wreckage debris was scattered down a 45-degree down slope. A propeller strike was noted on a tree trunk 212 feet from the initial point of impact with the imprint of the propeller blade tip.

Numerous pieces of the fuselage and wing skin were located along the crash debris line. The right wing tip was separated from the right wing and was located 246 feet from initial point of impact left of the crash debris line. The right outboard wing including two ribs and four feet of the right wing trailing edge, and right aileron outboard