Accident Overview
On the morning of April 10, 2003, a VFR repositioning flight departed Rome, Georgia, en route to Canton, Georgia, but never arrived. The pilot had flown from Rome to Augusta, Georgia, earlier that day to pick up an unknown number of passengers and return them to Rome. While the passengers safely reached their destination, the aircraft did not. Late that evening, the pilot's spouse contacted local authorities after her husband did not arrive home or call.
Search and Wreckage Location
The Civil Air Patrol initiated a search and located the airplane on April 11, 2003, on the side of Bear Mountain in Canton, Georgia. The wreckage site was 11.3 nautical miles west of Cherokee County Airport, Canton, Georgia, and 26 nautical miles east of Rome, Georgia, on the west side of the mountain. The ridge of Bear Mountain runs northeast and southwest near the town of Waleska, Georgia. The elevation at the crash site was 1,750 feet above mean sea level (msl), while the peak of Bear Mountain rises to 2,268 feet msl. The upslope terrain at the site was estimated at 30–40 degrees.
Investigation Findings
Examination of the airframe, flight controls, engine assembly, and accessories revealed no anomalies. The aircraft appeared to have flown into terrain without any mechanical or structural failures.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause was determined to be the pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain.