What happened
On April 10, 2003, a private pilot contacted the Macon Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) to request a weather briefing for a flight from Thomasville, Georgia, to Detroit, Michigan. During the call, the pilot expressed concern regarding a "swirling mess" of weather and inquired about the necessary westward deviation to avoid it. At 143/38 CST, the Macon AFSS reported that cloud ceilings between Thomasville and Gadsden, Alabama, were 1,200 feet, noting that conditions were deteriorating with a recent 200-foot drop in ceiling.
Between 16:30 and 17:00 CST, a witness observed a high-wing, tailwheel aircraft flying over their residence during weather characterized by rain, fog, and low clouds. On April 11, 2003, at 10:45 CST, a hiker located the wreckage of the aircraft along a trail near the 1,800-foot level of Hernandez Peak in Cheaha State Park. The occupants, a private pilot in the right front seat and a student pilot in the left front seat, were both fatal.
The investigation
During the investigation, several pilot reports were reviewed from within a 60-mile radius of the accident time. These reports, all involving pilots operating under instrument flight rules, indicated an overcast layer base at 1,500 feet mean sea level. The tops of these clouds varied from 5,500 feet near Birmingham to 11,500 feet west of Atlanta.