What happened
A flight plan was filed for an instrument flight rules (IFR) trip from Rome, Georgia, to Huntsville, Alabama, with an estimated duration of 15 minutes. The flight departed at 09:37 EST, with the co-pilot operating the controls. Following a visual flight rules (VFR) departure, the captain requested IFR clearance from Atlanta Center. Air traffic controllers instructed the crew to maintain VFR procedures due to existing traffic in the vicinity while the IFR clearance was being processed. At the time of the request, the aircraft was climbing through 1,300 feet.
As the crew awaited their clearance, they expressed concerns regarding low cloud ceilings and the proximity of high terrain. At approximately 09:40, the captain instructed the co-pilot to maneuver the aircraft back toward the right. Shortly after this instruction, radio communication was lost, and the cockpit voice recorder ceased operation. The aircraft type was later discovered at the site of a collision with the peak of Mount Lavender, situated at an elevation of roughly 1,580 feet MSL. The accident resulted in nine fatalities.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating without a ground proximity warning system.
- The crew's attempt to navigate around terrain while awaiting clearance contributed to the impact.