History of Flight
On February 7, 2021, about 1647 central standard time, a Cessna 441, N44776, was destroyed during an accident near Belvidere, Tennessee. The flight departed Thomasville Regional Airport, Thomasville, Georgia, about 1527, destined for Winchester Municipal Airport, Winchester, Tennessee. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
According to ADS-B data, radar, and voice communications from the FAA, the flight was cleared to flight level 220 after departure. About 1616, the flight began its descent into BGF. At about 1640, as the airplane descended to 4,000 ft MSL, the pilot contacted the Bowling Green, Kentucky, radar controller and was cleared for the RNAV GPS runway 36 approach. The airplane crossed the intermediate fix at about 4,000 ft. The approach procedure allowed crossing the intermediate fix at or above 4,000 ft, then descending to cross the final approach fix at or above 3,000 ft. The airplane descended slowly from 3,000 ft when about 4 nm south of the final approach fix.
As the airplane descended through 2,300 ft, its radar target disappeared due to limited radar coverage. The last ADS-B target showed the airplane about 0.6 nm south of the final approach fix at 2,100 ft on a northerly heading. The controller attempted contact but received no response. The airplane subsequently impacted trees and terrain about 0.25 nm north-northeast of the final approach fix, about 5 nm south of the runway 36 threshold. A postcrash fire ensued; no distress calls were received.
Personnel Information
The logbooks for the pilot and the pilot-rated passenger were not located after the accident. Flight times were obtained from FAA sources.
Meteorological Information
A dissipating cold front stretched eastward from Arkansas to Georgia and into the mid-Atlantic. A trough extended from northeastern Arkansas to northern Tennessee and West Virginia. The accident site was north of the front on the cold side. Station models showed air temperatures in the low 30s °F, dew points in the upper 20s °F, temperature-dew point spreads of 2°F or less, easterly wind at 5 knots, and overcast sky cover.
Weather at BGF at 1635 included a ceiling of 800 ft overcast. At 1655, the ceiling was 1,000 ft overcast. Cloud tops were about 4,000 ft, and light rime icing prevailed in the clouds. The pilot received a weather briefing before the flight, indicating comfort with ceilings above 500 ft and awareness of icing conditions. The pilot reported that the airplane had deicing equipment and onboard weather.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted elevated, wooded terrain at about 1,880 ft elevation. The debris path was about 260 ft long on a magnetic heading of about 342°. The first piece was the left-wing tip lens; the farthest was a light housing. The fuselage was found inverted on a heading of 260°.
Tree strikes indicated impact in a left-wing, nose-low attitude before rolling inverted and colliding with terrain. Postaccident fire consumed most of the cockpit, fuselage, inboard left wing, and outboard left horizontal stabilizer.
All structural components were within the debris field. Flight control continuity was established except for areas with tension overload failures. The preaccident position of the main landing gear and wing flaps could not be determined due to damage. The nose landing gear was extended.
Fuel system components were damaged by fire. The left fuel cap was securely installed; the right fuel cap separated during impact.
Postaccident examination of the airframe revealed no pre-existing mechanical failure or anomaly that would have precluded normal operation. Teardown and examination of both engines found no pre-existing malfunction or failure; engines exhibited normal internal signatures at impact. Examination of both propeller assemblies also found no pre-existing malfunction or failure.