What happened
During a local recreational flight originating from Knoxville, the pilot initiated an approach for the ILS into Knoxville. Shortly after this request, the pilot asked air traffic control for immediate radar vectors. When the controller attempted to verify the aircraft's current altitude, the pilot failed to respond to the communication.
While navigating the area, the aircraft struck trees at an elevation of 3,500 feet amidst rising terrain located approximately seven miles southwest of Gatlinburg. An eyewitness on the ground, a hiker, noted that the sound of the engines continued until the moment of impact. The witness also observed that cloud cover was obscuring the mountain peaks at the time of the accident.
Investigation of the crash site revealed that the debris field spanned a length of 650 feet and a width of 75 feet. The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, was killed in the crash.
Findings
An examination of the wreckage did not reveal any evidence of mechanical failure contributing to the accident.