What happened
On February 8, 2020, a Cessna 501, registration N501RG, was engaged in a training flight from Atlanta, Georgia, to Nashville, Tennessee, when it experienced an inflight breakup near Fairmount, Georgia. The flight crew, consisting of a pilot-in-command in the right seat and a pilot in the left seat, along with two passengers, were all 4 fatalities.
During the flight, which was conducted in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and icing conditions, the pilots communicated several difficulties to air traffic control. They initially reported issues with the autopilot, followed by reports of navigation problems, and finally stated they were having trouble with the left-side attitude indicator. Despite these reports, the pilots requested to continue to their destination and climbed to 15,000 feet.
Shortly after climbing through 15,000 feet, the aircraft entered a descending left turn that transitioned into a 360-degree descending turn. Radar contact was lost at 10:13 EST. The aircraft's wreckage was found in a wooded area, inverted and partially submerged in a creek, with a debris path spanning approximately 7,000 feet, which is consistent with an inflight breakup.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and found that the main fuselage was crushed and the wings were wrinkled. The outboard section of the right wing had separated from the aircraft. The horizontal stabilizers and elevators also separated from the airframe. Control cable continuity was maintained through multiple overload failures.
Mechanical examinations of the engines showed no anomalies that would have prevented normal operation. While the left wing deice valve was found to be malfunctioning due to a lack of movement in the solenoid, investigators determined that the icing conditions were unlikely to have made the aircraft uncontrollable. The investigation also noted that the cockpit switches were compromised during the impact, making it difficult to determine the exact switch positions during the accident.
Findings
- The pilots experienced instrumentation difficulties that likely increased their workload.
- The reported issues with the autopilot and attitude indicator may have led to task saturation.
- The flight was being conducted in freezing IMC, which increased the risk of spatial disorientation.
- The left-seat pilot was not type-rated for the aircraft and was scheduled for training to obtain the rating.
- The aircraft's flight track data was consistent with the effects of spatial disorientation, leading to a loss of control and subsequent breakup.