History of the Flight
On December 26, 2016, at approximately 1602 eastern standard time, a Cessna 182H, registration N1839X, collided with mountainous terrain while descending to land at Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge Airport (GKT) in Sevierville, Tennessee. The private pilot and two passengers sustained fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal cross-country trip. The airplane had departed Keystone Airpark (42J) in Keystone Heights, Florida, around 1300. Instrument meteorological conditions were present, and no flight plan was filed.
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) data, the airplane was receiving visual flight rules (VFR) flight-following services and was at 9,500 feet mean sea level (msl) when the pilot requested descent into GKT. At 1554, the controller approved the descent, issued an altimeter setting, and instructed the pilot to "maintain VFR." Radar data showed a descent on a ground track of approximately 340 degrees directly toward GKT at a groundspeed between 130 and 150 knots.
At 1558, about 20 miles from GKT, the airplane descended below the minimum vectoring altitude of 8,000 feet msl. It continued descending on the same track at similar speed. At 1602, the radar target was at 5,400 feet msl abeam the peak of Mt. LeConte, elevation 6,500 feet, when the radar track ended. The controller then issued a frequency change to GKT and terminated radar services. No reply was received, and no further contact attempts were made.
Local law enforcement was notified by concerned family members. A search was initiated, and the wreckage was located later that evening by helicopter at 5,400 feet in steep, mountainous terrain at the same position as the last radar target.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. He was issued a third-class medical certificate on December 3, 2013, and reported 12 total hours of flight experience at that time. He received his private pilot certificate on April 1, 2014, with 45.3 total hours. His logbook was not recovered. On April 27, 2016, he reported to his insurance carrier 272 total flight hours, 219 of which were in the accident airplane.
Aircraft Information
The four-seat, single-engine, high-wing, fixed-gear airplane was manufactured in 1965 and equipped with a Continental O-470-R-series, 230-horsepower reciprocating engine. The most recent annual inspection was completed on October 3, 2015, at 2,595 total aircraft hours.
Meteorological Information
At 1615, weather at GKT, 15 miles north of the accident site, included few clouds at 4,600 feet and calm wind. Temperature was 18°C, dew point 13°C, and altimeter setting 30.30 inches of mercury. An AIRMET Sierra for mountain obscuration was in effect along the route. Satellite imagery showed instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions with cloud tops between 6,000 and 7,000 feet msl in the accident area. Conditions north of the ridgeline and at the destination were VFR.
At 1545, weather at Macon County Airport (2,034 feet elevation) in Franklin, North Carolina, about 25 miles south, included scattered clouds at 700 feet, a broken ceiling at 1,200 feet, and an overcast layer at 2,400 feet, with visibility 4 statute miles in fog. A pilot who flew near the accident site around that time reported entering a flat stratus cloud layer at 5,000 feet with tops at 7,000 feet msl, which remained consistent throughout his flight.
No official weather briefing from Lockheed Martin Flight Service or DUATS was received by the pilot. A search of ForeFlight revealed no weather briefing request or flight plan filing, though the pilot entered route information from 42J to GKT at 1449 but did not view weather imagery. It could not be determined if he viewed observations or forecasts en route.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Examination at the site by an FAA inspector revealed an odor of fuel, with all major components accounted for. Due to hazardous conditions, brief photo-documentation was performed before recovery by helicopter. Two landing gear and a propeller blade were not recovered. The airframe was segmented by impact and cutting during recovery. Control continuity was established from the cockpit to flight control surfaces, with breaks consistent with overload or cutting. Leading edges of both wings were uniformly crushed. Instruments were destroyed. Mixture, throttle, and propeller controls were in full-forward positions; fuel selector was in "Right" tank position.
The propeller, propeller governor, engine case, No. 6 cylinder, and crankshaft forward of the No. 4 main bearing were separated by impact. The engine could not be rotated due to damage. Visual inspection and borescope examination showed normal wear and lubrication. Accessories were separated; magnetos could not be tested but showed no pre-impact anomalies.
Additional Information
The owner of the flight school where the pilot trained stated that the pilot "pushed his training as hard as he could and cut corners wherever he could." The pilot scored 73 on his FAA written exam and purchased the airplane immediately after passing his practical exam. He built a hangar on his property but continued flying from 42J. The flight school owner reported seeing the pilot depart with his family on multiple occasions in weather below VFR minimums and counseling him about operating VFR in instrument conditions, most recently two weeks before the accident. The instructor noted the pilot had "an anti-authority attitude" and lacked mountain experience, and that an AIRMET for mountain obscuration was in effect.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed by the Regional Forensic Center in Knox County, Tennessee, listed the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicological testing detected phentermine in the pilot's liver, spleen, and kidney. Phentermine is a prescription stimulant/appetite suppressant with side effects including overstimulation, restlessness, and dizziness. The pilot had not disclosed this medication to the FAA. No known relationship exists between tissue levels and impairment.
Aids to Navigation
GKT was depicted on the Atlanta VFR Sectional Chart with a maximum elevation figure (MEF) of 7,000 feet msl for the quadrant containing GKT and Mt. LeConte. Instrument approach procedure charts for GKT showed a minimum sector altitude of 7,900 feet msl, providing 1,000-foot clearance within 25 nautical miles. These charts were available to ForeFlight subscribers.