ATL05FA142

The private pilot was not instrument rated, and departed on a flight under visual flight rules (VFR) into current and forecast instrument meteorological conditions. AIRMETs for instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions and mountain obscuration were in effect for the accident flight route for a timeframe from before departure to after the estimated time of the accident. While in contact with an air traffic controller, the pilot requested and received clearance to change his altitude to maintain VFR. ATC radar services were terminated when the flight left the controller's airspace. The pilot continued the flight under VFR, and crashed in mountainous terrain in an area of IFR conditions and precipitation. Examination of the accident site revealed evidence of a high-speed, steep-angle descent into terrain. Inspection of the airframe, powerplant, and accessories, revealed no evidence of preimpact malfunction.

History of flight

On August 8, 2005, at an undetermined time, a Beech V35B, N1212V, registered to and operated by the private pilot, collided into mountainous, wooded terrain and caught fire in the vicinity of Ellijay, Georgia. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 with a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan filed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed in the vincinity of the accident site. The private pilot received fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed by impact and by postimpact fire. The flight departed Lake Norman Airpark (14A), Mooresville, North Carolina, about 0941 eastern daylight time on August 8, 2005.

According to air traffic control (ATC) records, the pilot telephoned the Raleigh automated flight service station (AFSS) at 0758 to file a VFR flight plan and receive a standard weather briefing for a flight from 14A to Smyrna Airport (MQY), Smyrna, Tennessee. The filed route of flight was from 14A direct to the Spartanburg VORTAC, Spartanburg, South Carolina, direct to Lovell Field (CHA), Chattanooga, Tennessee, then direct to MQY. At 0944, the pilot contacted Raleigh AFSS via the radio to activate the VFR flight plan.

According to ATC transcripts, at 0948:43, the pilot contacted the Greer air traffic control tower radar west controller in Greer, South Carolina, and reported, "I'm currently uh on the uh west side at Charlotte uh class C airspace, I'm VFR, I'm going to try to settle in at four thousand five hundred to Smyrna, Tennessee, I was wondering if I could get flight following, sir." The controller provided the pilot a squawk code and at 0953:36 advised the pilot, "november one two victor, radar contact two miles southeast of the Shelby airport [Shelby, North Carolina], altimeter three zero one two," and the pilot acknowledged. At 1008:05, the pilot stated, "good morning, Greer, november one two victor with you at four thousand five hundred, but to maintain VFR, I'm going to six thousand five hundred," and the controller acknowledged. According to the controller, the flight climbed to 6,500 feet, then descended back to 4,500 feet. At 1011:31, the pilot advised the controller that his altitude was 4,500 feet. At 1020:28, the controller stated, "november one two victor, leaving my airspace, squawk VFR, frequency change approved." The pilot replied, "roger, going VFR, one two victor." The flight was east of the Foothills VORTAC when radar services were terminated, and no further radio communications were received from the flight

When the flight failed to arrive at its destination, a search was initiated. A representative from the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), Georgia Wing, reported that adverse weather affected the CAP search efforts on August 8 and 9, 2005. The CAP representative stated that the weather conditions were not suitable for using fixed-wing aircraft to perform searches and that CAP observers rode in State Police and U.S. Army helicopters to search for the airplane. The searchers did not receive any signals from an emergency locator transmitter (ELT). The wreckage was located by a search spotter in a helicopter on August 10, 2005, in mountainous wooded terrain east of Springer Mountain in the Chattahoochee National Forest. The accident site was about 22 nautical miles (nm) south of the pilot's filed route of flight.

A pilot-rated witness at a residence in the vicinity of Springer Mountain reported that weather conditions on the day of the accident included an overcast cloud layer below 3,000 feet, thunderstorms, and rain.

Personnel information

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. He held a third-class airman medical certificate issued November 25, 2003, with the restriction "must wear corrective lenses." The pilot's logbook was not recovered for examination. On the pilot's application for his airman medical certificate, he reported 548 total civilian flight hours.

Aircraft information

The airplane was manufactured in 1979. It was powered by a Teledyne Continental Motors IO-520-BB(14)B engine and was equipped with a McCauley 2A36C23-PE constant-speed, two-blade propeller. A review of the maintenance logs for the airframe, engine, and propeller revealed an annual inspection was completed on March 1, 2005. The entries for the annual inspection recorded a tachometer reading and airframe total time of 2354.56 hours, engine time since major overhaul of 1263.26 hours, and propeller time since overhaul of 551.46 hours. A maintenance log entry for an oil change and compression check dated June 22, 2005, recorded a tachometer reading and airframe total time of 2403.65. Damage precluded obtaining a tachometer reading from the instrument at the accident site.

Meteorological information

Aviation Weather Forecast Information and Advisories

The area forecast (FA) issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) Aviation Weather Center at 0445 on the morning of the accident was valid until 1700. The forecast for the mountains of North Carolina was for ceilings broken at 3,500 feet, overcast at 5,500 feet with tops to 30,000 feet, visibility 3 to 5 statute miles (sm) in mist, widely scattered rain showers and isolated thunderstorms with cumulonimbus tops to 45,000 feet. From 1500, the forecast was for overcast clouds at 5,500 feet with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms with cumulonimbus cloud tops to 45,000 feet. The forecast for northern Georgia was overcast to broken clouds at 2,000 feet with tops at 4,000 feet, overcast at 9,000 feet with tops to 30,000 feet, visibility 3 to 5 sm in mist, and widely scattered rain showers and thunderstorms with cumulonimbus cloud tops to 40,000 feet. Becoming from 1200 to 1400, the forecast was for broken clouds at 3,000 feet and 5,000 feet with widely scattered rain showers and thunderstorms with cumulonimbus clouds tops to 45,000 feet.

The NWS issued the following AIRMETs that were current for the time of the accident. AIRMET Sierra Update 1 was issued at 0445 on the morning of the accident and was valid until 1000. AIRMET Sierra Update 1 was for instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions and mountain obscuration in areas of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. The affected area included the accident site and the flight route from 14A. AIRMET Sierra Update 1 advised occasional ceilings below 1,000 feet, visibility below 3 sm in precipitation, mist, and fog with conditions continuing beyond 1000 through 1600 in the northern half of Georgia and South Carolina Mountains. The AIRMET included mountain obscuration in areas of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. The affected area included the accident site and portions of the flight route and advised mountains occasionally obscured in clouds, precipitation, fog, and mist with conditions continuing beyond 1000 through 1600.

AIRMET Sierra Update 2 was issued at 0655 and was valid until 1000. AIRMET Sierra Update 2 was for IFR conditions and mountain obscuration in areas of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. The affected area included the accident site and the flight route from 14A. AIRMET Sierra Update 2 advised occasional ceilings below 1,000 feet, visibility below 3 sm in precipitation, mist, and fog, with conditions continuing beyond 1000 through 1600 in the northern half of Georgia and South Carolina mountains. The AIRMET included mountain obscuration in areas of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. The affected area included the accident site and portions of the flight route and advised mountains occasionally obscured in clouds, precipitation, fog, and mist with conditions continuing beyond 1000 through 1600.

AIRMET Sierra Update 3 was issued at 0945 and was valid until 1600. AIRMET Sierra Update 3 was for IFR conditions and mountain obscuration in areas of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. The affected area included the accident site