What happened
Following the completion of an ILS flight inspection at Winchester Regional Airport, a flight was proceeding toward Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport in Virginia. The flight was operating under visual flight rules (VFR) for this point-to-point mission. After departing Winchester, the aircraft reached an altitude of 2,000 feet. During this phase of the flight, the crew contacted air traffic control to request an increase in altitude. However, controllers denied the request for a climb due to existing traffic in the area.
While the aircraft was waiting for an instrument flight rules (IFR) clearance, it collided with the slope of Mt Knob. The impact occurred approximately 30 miles southwest of the departure airport. The accident resulted in three fatalities among the occupants of the aircraft.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating under VFR while awaiting IFR clearance.
- Air traffic control denied a request to climb due to nearby traffic congestion.