A preliminary accident report on the April plane crash that killed three people near the Upper Cumberland Regional Airport cites internal catastrophic malfunction in the engine.
The plane went down April 26, just one-and-a-half nautical miles from the airport. The NTSB report released Wednesday said the pilot was cleared for approach before he cancelled his instrument flight rules clearance and informed controllers the cloud base was at 3,000 feet.
At 11:46am, the flight went off route. A witness reports the plane engine was cutting in and out like it was out of fuel. Moments later, the witness said she heard the sound of a crash.
The plane crashed into trees and a creek. The plane sustained substantial damage. The report said there was a connecting rod on the engine’s third cylinder that was disconnected at both ends. The report said the engine and other parts of the aircraft were retained for future investigation.
The flight originated in Alabaster, Alabama, and the pilot was in contact with several air traffic controllers while flying to Sparta.
The plane did not explode or catch fire in the crash. The pilot and two passengers were killed in the crash. The FAA said there was no reported distress call from the pilot.
