Aircraft Crash Near Perry, Georgia (N4137T)

Approach and Radio Contact During the approach to the destination airport, the pilot established radio contact with Approach Control. The pilot reported a cruise altitude of 7,500 feet and a 138-degree heading. The pilot was issued the current altimeter setting and requested current weather for Perry, Georgia. The nearest weather reporting facility reported a 600-foot ceiling and 7 miles visibility. Later in the radio conversation, the pilot was asked if he was instrument qualified, and he stated that he was. When the controller asked for current flight conditions, the pilot reported being at 1,300 feet and requested a direct heading to Perry. The controller informed the pilot that the airport was 10 miles off his two o'clock position. At 2226:04, radio and radar contact with the airplane was lost. Witnesses near the accident site observed a fireball followed by a crashing sound. Within minutes, the airplane wreckage was located, and the passenger was rescued. ## Wreckage Examination Examination of the accident site disclosed that wreckage debris was scattered over an area 850 feet long and 75 feet wide. The wreckage path revealed several fresh gouges in the dirt, with paint chips and other debris from the airframe embedded in the ground. Several fire-damaged pieces of airframe material were scattered throughout the wreckage path. The fire-damaged rudder assembly was lodged in a tree about 400 feet south of the main wreckage. The main wreckage, consisting of the airframe center section, cockpit, and empennage, was wrapped around the base of a pecan tree 725 feet north of the first freshly damaged pecan tree along the wreckage path. The left engine assembly was 75 feet northwest of the main airframe. Examination of the wreckage debris failed to disclose a mechanical malfunction or component failure.