Plane Crash Reports 2003

2003 Plane Crash Report Result

Title: CESSNA 177, N3275T, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PRIVATE PIL

Report Date: 03/24

Plane Crash Problem: On March 14, 2003, about 1250 eastern standard time, a Cessna 177, N3275T, registered to and operated by the private pilot, collided with trees and rising terrain in Old Fort, North Carolina. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site. The pilot and two passengers sustained fatal injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight departed Asheville Regional Airport in Asheville, North Carolina, at 1233. The flight was en route to Rowan County Airport in Salisbury, North Carolina. A review of air traffic control records revealed the pilot contacted Asheville ground control at 1224 and stated he intended to fly east at 4,500 feet. The controller reported that cloud conditions were overcast at 2,500 feet, and the pilot acknowledged and stated he may need to deviate off course to avoid low clouds in the mountains. The controller acknowledged and stated the pilot could maneuver as necessary, and, at 1233, the flight was cleared for takeoff. At 1241, Asheville air traffic control advised the pilot radar service was terminated eight miles northeast of the airport. The pilot acknowledged and stated he was following Interstate 40 through the mountains. No further radar or radio contact was made with the pilot. After the flight was reported overdue, a search was initiated. An air search party located the wreckage at 0800 on March 15, 2003. Initial examination of the accident site revealed the wreckage was at the 2,900-foot level of Kitsuma Peak in the Pisgah National Forest, 18 nautical miles east of Asheville Regional Airport, Asheville, North Carolina. Wreckage debris was scattered approximately 50 feet along a 340 degree magnetic heading from a tree freshly broken about three feet above the ground.

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