Preliminary NTSB Report here.....
NTSB Identification:
ERA14FA163
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, March 23, 2014 in Vonore, TN
Aircraft: DEHAVILLAND DHC-1, registration: N540FM
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On March 23, 2014, about 1338 eastern daylight time (EDT), a Dehavilland DHC-1, N540FM, impacted trees and terrain near Vonore, Tennessee. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was operated by the pilot. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from French Lick Municipal Airport (FRH), French Lick, Indiana, and was destined for Franklin County Airport (18A), Canon, Georgia.
When the pilot did not arrive at his destination, a Federal Aviation Administration Alert Notice (ALNOT) was issued. The wreckage was located during the morning of March 24, 2014. The wreckage was found on the side of a mountainous slope within the boundary of the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee, at coordinates 35.46596, -84.01032. The elevation at the accident site was about 2,222 feet above sea level. There were no known witnesses to the accident.
The wreckage was found upright, and the debris path was oriented on a heading of about 300 degrees. Damage to broken trees within the wreckage debris path was indicative of a near-level aircraft attitude at impact. There was no evidence of fire noted. The engine controls were found in the "full forward" positions. All major structural components were found within the area of the main wreckage. The right wing was severed from impact forces. The pilot was found in the cockpit and was wearing a parachute at the time of the accident; it was not deployed. The wreckage was recovered on March 31, 2014 and will be retained for examination at a later date.
Weather at Knoxville, Tennessee (TYS) near the time of the accident included scattered clouds at 1,900 feet above ground level (AGL), broken clouds at 2,800 feet AGL, and broken clouds at 5,000 feet AGL.
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