At 0800 Central time, the airplane was destroyed when it collided with a mountain ridge. The Commercial pilot and single passenger were fatally injured. Instrument conditions prevailed; no flight plan had been filed, the airplane was not operating on an IFR clearance and was not in contact with ATC. According to the Birmingham (Ala.) Tracon, the airplane was tracked heading in a southerly direction at an altitude of 1100 feet when it began to descend and turned in a northerly direction. The airplane continued to descend and was lost off radar at an altitude of 900 feet. Three days after the crash and one day after the airplane was reported overdue, the Civil Air Patrol located the wreckage. All components necessary for flight were located at the accident site.
February 2, 2007, Bessemer, Ala., Cessna 172K
At 0800 Central time, the airplane was destroyed when it collided with a mountain ridge. The Commercial pilot and single passenger were fatally injured. Instrument conditions prevailed; no flight plan had been filed, the airplane was not operating on an IFR clearance and was not in contact with ATC. According to the Birmingham (Ala.) Tracon, the airplane was tracked heading in a southerly direction at an altitude of 1100 feet when it began to descend and turned in a northerly direction. The airplane continued to descend and was lost off radar at an altitude of 900 feet.
Key Takeaways:
- A commercial airplane fatally crashed into a mountain ridge in instrument conditions, killing the pilot and single passenger.
- The flight was not operating on an IFR clearance, had no filed flight plan, and was not in contact with Air Traffic Control.
- Radar tracked the aircraft descending and turning before being lost, and the wreckage was located three days later, one day after it was reported overdue.
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