Accident Details
The pilot departed Knoxville for a local pleasure flight to the Gatlinburg area. A few minutes into the flight, the pilot requested the ILS approach to Knoxville. About two minutes after the initial request, he requested immediate radar vectors. The controller asked for the flight's altitude, but there was no reply. The aircraft then collided with trees at the 3,500-foot level of rising terrain seven miles southwest of Gatlinburg.
A hiker reported hearing the sound of the engines running until the airplane collided with trees. The hiker also stated that clouds obscured the tops of the mountains.
Wreckage and Examination
Examination of the accident site disclosed that wreckage debris was scattered over an area 650 feet long and 75 feet wide. The wreckage examination failed to disclose a mechanical problem. The sole occupant, the pilot, was killed.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause was the pilot's continued visual flight into instrument weather conditions that resulted in a collision with rising terrain.