What happened
Shortly before noon, a Boeing 727 departed from Asheville Regional Airport. After reaching its assigned altitude and continuing its climb toward 6,132 feet, the aircraft entered an area of restricted visibility caused by cloud cover. During this climb, the jet collided with a Cessna 310, identified by registration N3121S.
The Cessna 310, which was operated by Lanseair and carrying a pilot and two passengers, struck the larger aircraft in mid-air. Following the impact, both planes descended rapidly into a heavily forested region approximately nine miles southeast of Asheville Airport. The debris from the Boeing 727 was recovered in a wooded area near a highway in Hendersonville. The accident resulted in 82 fatalities, representing all occupants aboard both aircraft.
Findings
The primary cause of the collision was the Cessna 310 deviating from its assigned IFR clearance, which placed it directly into the flight path of the Boeing 727. While the specific reason for this deviation remained unidentified, the FAA's air traffic control procedures regarding the Cessna were also noted as a contributing factor.
Subsequent investigations reopened in 2006 revealed several critical discrepancies in the initial report. These included the failure to note that the pilot of N3121S had communicated his heading to controllers, and the omission of a small fire that broke out in the cockpit of the Boeing 727 roughly 35 seconds before the impact occurred.