What happened
Approximately 30 minutes before the accident, the pilot of N799TM contacted the Gainesville, Georgia, Flight Service Station (FSS) to request an instrument flight plan for a flight from Jackson County Airport in Sylva, North Carolina, to Pensacola, Florida. During the weather briefing, the briefer notified the pilot of mountain obscuration and moderate turbulence below 10,000 feet. The pilot indicated he believed he could remain under visual flight rules (VFR) because he could see the tops of clouds and some blue sky. After inquiring about how to activate an IFR flight plan once airborne, the pilot departed; no further communications were received.
Witnesses near the accident site reported hearing an aircraft flying low while traveling south. They described hearing the engine sound fade, followed by a sudden increase in engine RPM and the sound of trees breaking with a loud impact. Witnesses noted that visibility was extremely poor due to fog, with less than 50 feet of visibility.
A search team was unable to locate the Cessna (type not specified in source) during the initial search due to inclement weather. The aircraft was located the following day on the side of Savannah Ridge Mountain at an elevation of 4,400 feet, approximately 5 miles south of Jackson County Airport.
The investigation
Post-accident examination of the airframe, flight controls, engine assembly, and accessories revealed no anomalies.