Piper PA-32RT-300 N9710C

Summary

On 7 April 1994 at about 03:58 local time, a Piper PA-32RT-300 registered N9710C, operated by Tennessee Air Corp Inc.,, was involved in an accident near Smithville, Tennessee, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 April 1994 at 03:58

Classification

Accident

Location

Smithville, Tennessee, United States

Coordinates

35.9502, -85.8200

Aircraft

Piper PA-32RT-300

Registration

N9710C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Tennessee Air Corp Inc.,

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Knoxville → Nashville

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

ATL94FA075

1 person died.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN RECENT WEATHER INFORMATION TO AVOID FLIGHT INTO ICING CONDITIONS. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: MANAGEMENT-INDUCED PRESSURE AND THE ICING CONDITIONS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

PRIOR TO DEPARTING NASHVILLE, THE PILOT RECEIVED WEATHER INFORMATION FROM A COMMERCIAL WEATHER SERVICE AT FLIGHT OPERATIONS. THE CONTENT OF THIS BRIEFING COULD NOT BE OBTAINED. LATER, AT 1839, HE CALLED NASHVILLE AFSS FOR A WEATHER UPDATE. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED NASHVILLE FOR KNOXVILLE AT 2000. AT 2205, THE FLIGHT DEPARTED KNOXVILLE FOR THE RETURN TRIP TO NASHVILLE. THERE IS NO RECORD OF ANY WEATHER BRIEFINGS SUBSEQUENT TO THE 1839 UPDATE. AT 2238, THE PILOT REPORTED PICKING UP LIGHT ICE. FOR THE NEXT 10 MIN HE CONTINUED TO REQUEST LOWER ALTITUDES UNTIL HE WAS LOST FROM RADAR. ACCORDING TO FORMER PILOTS OF THE OPERATOR, PILOTS WERE ROUTINELY THREATENED WITH PUNITIVE ACTION FOR REFUSING TO FLY IN QUESTIONABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS, OR TO FLY AIRCRAFT WITH QUESTIONABLE AIRWORTHINESS CONDITIONS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.