Incident Overview
An aircraft crashed into a mountain at the 4,000-foot level, approximately 100 feet below the crest, while en route to Chattanooga, Tennessee. The crash occurred in level powered flight. No witnesses to the accident have been identified, and no radio communications with the aircraft were known after departure.
Pre-Flight and Departure
Prior to departure, the pilot received a pre-flight telephone briefing that was considered current and appropriate for the flight without any special remarks. At the time of departure from Richlands Airport, the airport manager reported overcast conditions with strong winds and light rain. Visibility was approximately 2 miles.
Crash and Investigation
Radar data was unable to recreate a track from stored information due to interference from the mountainous terrain. The pilot had limited total flight time and was not instrument rated.