What happened
A training mission originating from Chattanooga-Lovell Field resulted in a fatal accident in Georgia. The flight was intended to proceed to Pensacola-Forrest Sherman Field NAS in Florida. Approximately 20 minutes after takeoff, while the aircraft was maintaining a low-altitude cruise, it struck a tree.
Following the impact with the tree, the aircraft crashed on the slope of Mt Johns, located near Villanow, Georgia. The accident resulted in four fatalities, with no survivors reported among the occupants.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating in a low-altitude cruise phase at the time of the incident.
- The sequence of events was initiated when the aircraft contacted a tree during its flight path.