Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Nashville, Tennessee
Australian Transport Safety Board
Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
http://registry.faa.gov/N929GB
Location: Thompson's Station, TN
Accident Number: WPR18FA053
Date & Time: 12/21/2017, 1307 CST
Registration: N929GB
Aircraft: BROWNING GREGORY S ZODIAC 601XL
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: VFR encounter with IMC
Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal
On December 21, 2017, about 1307 central standard time, a Zodiac 601XL experimental, amateur-built airplane, N929GB, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain while maneuvering at low altitude near Thompson's Station, Tennessee. The sport pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was owned by the pilot, who operated it as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal cross-country flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed Bomar Field-Shelbyville Municipal Airport (SYI), Shelbyville, Tennessee, about 1230, with an intended destination of Whifferdill Airport (TN77), Chapmansboro, Tennessee.
According to a family member, the pilot completed the 57-nautical-mile flight from TN77 to SYI a few weeks earlier to have an autopilot system installed in the airplane. On the day of the accident, the family member drove the pilot to SYI so the pilot could fly the airplane back to TN77. The owner of the maintenance facility where the work was completed stated that he was surprised to see the pilot, as the pilot had not informed him of his intention to pick up the airplane that day. Additionally, the weather conditions were well below visual flight rules (VFR) minimums. The maintenance facility owner asked the pilot if he had looked at the weather, to which the pilot replied that it was improving, and it would be fine. The maintenance facility owner then informed the pilot that the current weather at SYI was 400 ft overcast and not good for flying and that Nashville, located almost directly between SYI and TN77, was reporting the same. When he suggested that the pilot come back and get the airplane after the weather had improved, the pilot replied, "No. I will get it today. The weather is fine, and I know the area I am flying to." The owner subsequently assisted the pilot with fueling the airplane; airport records revealed that the pilot purchased 8.5 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel.
The maintenance facility owner saw the pilot board the airplane; after starting the engine, the pilot taxied the airplane away from the ramp, then turned the airplane onto the taxiway. The pilot did not perform a pretakeoff engine run up. He advanced the throttle to full power, and, about 3 to 4 seconds later, as the airplane accelerated in its takeoff roll, the maintenance facility owner saw dust flying and heard the airplane rattling loudly as it departed the left side of the taxiway into the grass; the airplane continued through the grass. The maintenance facility owner reported that, during the departure, "…the engine sounded to be running wide open." He heard "a very loud bang" just before the airplane became airborne, as if the airplane had hit something. During the initial climb, the airplane entered a very high nose-up attitude and appeared to be "wallowing" left and right. The maintenance facility owner also stated that, at this time, he could clearly see something venting from the left wing, which he thought may have been fuel. As the airplane continued to climb, its nose lowered, and it gained speed as it proceeded south at low altitude. Before reaching the south end of the runway, the airplane entered a steep left turn at an altitude about 200 ft above ground level (agl) while reversing course to a northwest heading.
A witness about 0.3 mile north of the accident site reported that he saw a small, white airplane with red trim flying west about 1/4-mile ahead of him. The witness stated that the airplane had just cleared the high-tension power lines that cross the highway between 150 ft and 200 ft agl. When he first observed the airplane, it was flying northeast to southwest, parallel to and directly above the highway. As the airplane flew over his location, he heard the engine running at high rpm as the airplane continued to fly toward the west. The witness mentioned that, at this time, he saw the airplane dip slightly then pull up in a banking turn; he was not sure which direction it was turning.
About 35 minutes after departing SYI, the airplane impacted a stand of trees and terrain about 35 nautical miles northwest of SYI on a magnetic heading of about 120°. The airplane came to rest upright and mostly intact just off a rural residential road, on a magnetic heading about 130°. A first responder who lived nearby reported that she heard a very loud noise outside of her residence, after which she saw that an airplane had crashed. She stated that the weather in the area at the time of the accident consisted of low clouds about treetop level with very limited visibility.
Pilot Information
Certificate: Sport Pilot
Age: 78, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s):None
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: Yes
Medical Certification: Sport Pilot With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 04/04/2005
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: 1000 hours (Total, all aircraft), 10 hours (Total, this make and model)
The sport pilot had previously possessed a private pilot certificate, which he surrendered in 2012 following an airplane accident. His most recent Federal Aviation Administration third-class medical certificate was issued on April 4, 2005, with a limitation for corrective lenses and that the certificate was not valid for night flying or by color signal control. On the application for that certificate, the pilot reported 1,000 total hours of flight experience, with 25 hours in the previous 6 months.
A flight instructor, who reported that the accident pilot contacted him for transition training in the accident airplane, stated that he provided the pilot 2 hours of training over a 2-week period in November 2016. The next time he saw the pilot was on February 15, 2017, when he was again scheduled for training. When the pilot arrived, instead of doing the training as scheduled, the pilot stated that he was taking the airplane home; the instructor told him that was not a good idea. Two hours later, the pilot called the instructor to inform him that he had made it home. The instructor stated that he typically requires 5 hours of transition training for a signoff, which the pilot did not want to pay for. The instructor stated, " He was behind the airplane; it was too fast for him. He could not judge distance, and he was always cutting the [traffic] pattern short and low."
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: BROWNING GREGORY S
Registration: N929GB
Model/Series: ZODIAC 601XL XL
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 2009
Amateur Built: Yes
Airworthiness Certificate: Special Light-Sport; Experimental
Serial Number: 66785
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 10/10/2017, Condition
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 1300 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 1 Hour
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 541.5 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: JABIRU
ELT: C91A installed, activated, did not aid in locating accident
Engine Model/Series: 3300A
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 160 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
The accident airplane was a two-seat, side-by-side, low-wing, tricycle-gear airplane with a maximum gross weight of 1,300 lbs and an empty weight of 695 lbs. The airplane was equipped with two wing fuel tanks with a total capacity of 24 gallons. According to maintenance records, the airplane's most recent condition inspection was performed on October 10, 2017, at a total time of 541.5 hours.
The airplane was also equipped with a Jabiru 3300A, six-cylinder, horizontally opposed, air-cooled, direct-drive, reciprocating engine, serial number 33A1341, capable of developing 120 horsepower at 3,300 rpm. It was also equipped with a Sensenich 2-blade propeller, model W64ZK49. The engine had accumulated about 541.5 hours total time since the most recent condition inspection.
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Instrument Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: BNA, 600 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 26 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1303 CST
Direction from Accident Site: 44°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Unknown
Visibility: 10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 100 ft agl
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 9 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: None / None
Wind Direction: 120°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: N/A / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 30.03 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 13°C / 11°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Shelbyville, TN (SYI)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Chapmansboro, TN (TN77)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1230 CST
Type of Airspace: Class G
The Surface Analysis Chart for 1200 showed a west-to-east-oriented stationary front in northern Tennessee immediately north of the accident location. Station models in the area identified overcast sky conditions and generally southerly winds of 10 knots or less; some models denoted dew point depressions of 0°C.
An Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) located at SYI, about 34 miles southeast of the accident site at an elevation of 800 ft indicated overcast ceilings between 1,100 and 1,400 ft agl, visibilities of 10 statute miles or greater, and dew point depressions of 2°C during the times surrounding the accident.
An AWOS located at Maury County Airport (MRC), Columbia, Tennessee, about 17 miles south-southwest of the accident site at an elevation of 681 ft indicated overcast ceilings between 400 and 600 ft agl, visibilities from 7 statute miles to 10 statute miles or greater, and dew point depressions of 0°C during the times surrounding the accident.
Weather observations from John C. Tune Airport (JWN), Nashville, Tennessee, about 23 miles north-northeast of the accident location at an elevation of 501 ft, identified overcast ceilings between 600 and 800 ft agl, visibilities from 8 to 10 statute miles or greater, and dew point depressions of 1°C and 2°C during the times surrounding the accident.
An Area Forecast Discussion (AFD) was issued at 1147 by the NWS Weather Forecast Office in Nashville, Tennessee. The Aviation section of that AFD stated:
Widespread IFR ceilings have been slow to lift and expected to generally remain this way, although some breaks into MVFR are likely later this afternoon, at least for a few hours. IFR expected to redevelop later this evening and overnight ahead of precipitation that will overspread the region early Friday. This activity will initially begin light, possibly as drizzle, then increase in intensity by late Friday morning and last through much of the day and evening. Prolonged IFR or LIFR is likely through this time.
(For additional information, refer to the NTSB Weather Study, which is appended to the docket for this accident.)
There was no record of the pilot having obtained a weather briefing prior to departure.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 35.819167, -87.046944
The airplane came to rest intact except for the main landing gear and some small pieces of fuselage. First responders reported the presence of fuel upon initial arrival at the accident site.
The initial impact point was a stand of trees about 60 ft high and about 115 ft northwest of the main wreckage site. The second impact point, about 35 ft southeast of the first impact point, was with another stand of trees about 40 ft high. The airplane subsequently came to rest upright in an open field next to a residential rural dirt road.
Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
An iFLY 740 portable GPS, serial number VH16050313, and a Lowrance AIRMAP 1000 GPS receiver, serial number 100660358, were sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Division for examination and potential data download.
Examination of the iFLY 740 revealed that data extracted from the unit included about 3 minutes 39 seconds of the accident flight data. The data corresponded to the flight's takeoff, but the recording ended shortly thereafter, possibly due to the device being powered off.
The Lowrance AIRMAP 1000 contained data from 41 previous flights, none of which were associated with the accident.
Medical And Pathological Information
The Office of the Medical Examiner, Center for Forensic Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, conducted an autopsy on the pilot. The cause of death was determined to be "multiple blunt force injuries." The autopsy revealed a significantly enlarged heart with left ventricular and septal hypertrophy. Additionally, the pilot had significant coronary artery disease with a stent in the right coronary artery. The mid left circumflex coronary artery showed up to 75% narrowing and the mid left anterior descending and proximal first diagonal coronary arteries each showed 50% and 60% narrowing, respectively. Interrogation of a Medtronic implanted defibrillator did not identify evidence of a heart rhythm that would have resulted in defibrillation around the time of the accident.
Toxicology testing performed at the FAA's Forensic Sciences Laboratory was negative for ethanol and carbon monoxide. Testing for drugs revealed the following: Naproxen was detected in urine; metoprolol, rosuvastatin were detected in urine and blood; clonazepam was detected in urine and blood; 0.019 (µg/mL, µg/g) amino-clonazepam (7-) was detected in blood and a nonquantified amount was in urine; 0.332 (µg/mL, µg/g) sertraline was detected in blood and a nonquantified amount was in urine; 0.418 (µg/mL, µg/g) desmethylsertraline was detected in blood and a nonquantified amount was in urine, and clopidogrel detected in blood and urine.
Naproxen is a non-narcotic pain medication, metoprolol is a blood pressure medication, clopidogrel is a blood thinner, and sertraline is an antidepressant. These medications are generally considered not to be impairing. The potentially impairing Schedule IV benzodiazepine (clonazepam) and its metabolite were detected below quantifiable/therapeutic levels.
On September 18, 2017, the pilot's family physician worked with the pilot's caregiver to coordinate rehabilitation care due to weakness following a knee replacement. The patient was not present for the evaluation, but the caregiver, stated that the pilot was often short-tempered and impulsive, would occasionally hear something that no one else did, and needed help with directions while driving along a route that he traveled many times. Based on this history, the physician wrote in the pilot's medical record that the pilot had possible early dementia with heightened impulsivity. The physician referred the pilot to a rehabilitation center and prescribed 0.5 mg clonazepam with up to 2 pills every 12 hours. The patient terminated care with the physician's office on October 11, 2017, when he was told the physician was not available to refill medications; no additional primary care treatment records were available.
Records from the rehabilitation center from September 20 through October 4, 2017, were reviewed. The pilot was admitted due to progressive weakness at home following his total knee replacement. During his stay, he underwent physical therapy and his strength and mobility improved. He was noted to have anxiety treated with clonazepam. Neurologic and psychiatric examinations during his rehabilitation documented no abnormalities; however, the pilot declined a formal neuropsychiatric evaluation during his rehabilitation stay. He was discharged to outpatient physical therapy. No additional post-rehabilitation progress or neuro-psychiatric evaluations were available.
Location: Thompson's Station, TN
Accident Number: WPR18FA053
Date & Time: 12/21/2017, 1307 CST
Registration: N929GB
Aircraft: BROWNING GREGORY S ZODIAC 601XL
Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal
On December 21, 2017, about 1307 central standard time, a Gregory S. Browning Zodiac 601XL experimental, amateur-built airplane, N929GB, was substantially damaged following a loss of control and impact with terrain while maneuvering at a low altitude near Thompson's Station, Tennessee. The airplane was registered to and operated by the private pilot, the sole occupant, as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot was fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight departed Bomar Field-Shelbyville Municipal Airport (SYI), Shelbyville, Tennessee about 1230, with an intended destination to Whifferdill Airport (TN77), Chapmansboro, Tennessee. No flight plan was filed for the flight.
According to a family member, the pilot had flown the airplane from TN77 to SYI a few weeks earlier to have an autopilot installed. On the day of the accident the family member drove the pilot to SYI to retrieve the airplane and return it to TN77. Personnel at the maintenance facility where the work had been completed were surprised to see the pilot when he arrived for the airplane, as he had not informed them of his plans to pick the airplane up that day. Additionally, the pilot was asked if he was sure that he wanted to make the flight, as the weather was not good, with low ceilings and limited visibility; the pilot elected to proceed with the flight to his home base. Maintenance personnel reported that after the pilot had settled his bill, he started the engine, taxied to the parallel taxiway, and then departed to the south on the taxiway, rather than on Runway 18. The witness then observed the pilot make an excessive left banking turn after liftoff at a low altitude before heading toward the northwest.
About 35 minutes into the flight, the airplane impacted a stand of trees and terrain about 35 nautical miles northwest of SYI, on a magnetic heading of about 120o . A first responder, who resides about 250 ft south of the accident site, reported that she heard a very loud noise outside of her residence, after which she observed that an airplane had crashed. The responder reported that when she arrived at the accident site, she detected the presence of fuel, and that there was no indication of fire. The responder revealed that the weather in the area at the time of the accident consisted of low clouds about tree top level, with very limited visibility.
Representatives from the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration surveyed the accident site the day following the event. The airplane came to rest upright on a magnetic heading of about 120o . With the exception of the main landing gear and some small pieces of fuselage, the airplane was intact. The initial impact point with the stand of trees, which were about 60 ft high, was about 115 ft northwest of the main wreckage site. The second impact point was with additional trees about the 40-foot level. The airplane subsequently came to rest in an open field next to a residential rural dirt road.
At 1253, the weather reporting station located at the Nashville International Airport (BNA), Nashville, Tennessee, about 25 nm northeast of the accident site, reported wind 220° at 9 knots, visibility 10 miles, overcast clouds at 900 ft, temperature 13° C, dew point 11° C, and an altimeter reading of 30.03 inches of mercury.
The airplane was recovered to a secured storage facility for further examination.
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Manufacturer: BROWNING GREGORY S
Registration: N929GB
Model/Series: ZODIAC 601XL XL
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: Yes
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: BNA
Observation Time: 1303 CST
Distance from Accident Site: 25 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 13°C / 11°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Thin Overcast / 1000 ft agl
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 9 knots, 120°
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 1000 ft agl
Visibility: 10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.03 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Shelbyville, TN (SYI)
Destination: Chapmansboro, TN (TN77)
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 35.819167, -87.046944
Jerry Elton Travis, age 79, of Chapmansboro, died Thursday, December 21, 2017 from injuries sustained in an airplane accident. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 o’clock am, Wednesday, December 27th at Austin & Bell Funeral Home in Pleasant View with Bro. Johnny Trail officiating. Burial will follow in EverRest of Cheatham with family & friends serving as pallbearers.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 3:00-7:00PM on Tuesday, December 26th, and again on Wednesday beginning at 10:00AM until the hour of service.
Mr. Travis was born on September 9, 1938 in Nashville, Tennessee to the late Ed and Bea Beeler. He was a retired pipeline welder and was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Jerry was an airplane enthusiast and was a pilot of his own airplanes for well over 50 years.
In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his former wife, Beverly Travis; son, Dan Travis; and step-grandsons, Joshua Petty and Tony Petty, Jr.
He is survived by his wife Carolyn Travis; sons, Lee (Sharon) Travis, and Tony (Ann) Travis; step-sons, Tony Petty, and Scott (Tammy) Petty; step-daughters, Misty (Stanley) Guess, Mittzi Baker, and Angie Taylor; brother, Roy Beeler; sisters, Joyce Stewart and Dessie Carrol; four grandchildren; 4 step-grandchildren; 2 step-great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
AUSTIN & BELL FUNERAL HOME in PLEASANT VIEW is in charge of these arrangements. www.austinandbell.com
FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WZTV) — Williamson County officials say one person was killed in a small plane crash Thursday afternoon.
The FAA said a Zenith Zodiac 601XL, amateur-built aircraft collided with trees and crashed in a field in Thompson Station at about 1 p.m.
Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Long said the plane crashed in the driveway of a home along Casparis Road. There was only one person on the plane, that crashed about 40 to 50 yards from the home.
A witness, Trisha Reed, heard the plane fly over her house and slam into the ground.
“I heard the plane coming over," Reed said. "You could hear the engine full blast. You didn’t hear it slow down or anything, but it sounded different because it was so low. I heard it hit the trees and hit the ground. You can hear the metal crunch together."
William Gray was outside when he heard the plane crash.
"The plane was still buzzing," Gray said. "It had an ignition key, and I turned it off. The man was still breathing when I got there. He was grunting. I cut the seat belt and raised him up. He was all slumped down in it."
Reed said people jumped into help after seeing the crash, but attempts to rescue the pilot were unsuccessful.
“It’s kind of shocking and very sad," Long said. "I feel for his family. Christmas will never be the same again for them."
“It’s a tragedy," Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Long said. "Anytime you have a fatality, it is a tragedy especially this time a year. When you have a loved one who’s not going to be able to be there with their family, it really strikes home to all of us."
The plane will be guarded until Friday morning when the NTSB plans to arrive to figure out what caused the aircraft to go down. Officials have not yet released the identity of the deceased pilot.
The FAA is investigating.
Story and video ➤ http://foxchattanooga.com
Leiper's Fork resident William Gray said he was working in his backyard Thursday afternoon when he heard a loud noise, looked up and saw a small plane crash into trees near his home.
"I heard something, and I looked up and the plane was going at about a 45 degree angle and real low and all at once it hit the trees and bang it hit the ground," he told reporters gathered near the crash.
He responded and said he saw the pilot slumped down inside the plane.
"I cut the seat belt, his arm was all hanging down," he said. "I didn’t know anything else to do."
Gray said the man was breathing at first, then he stopped.
Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Long confirmed that one man died in the crash Thursday. He said law enforcement are still working to determine the man's identity.
He said during a press conference that law enforcement were notified around 1 p.m. of the possible crash off Casparis Road.
Law enforcement and emergency medical responders arrived to find a small, personally-constructed plane in a driveway on the 3900 block of Caparis Road.
"At this time, the (Federal Aviation Administration) has been notified," Long said. "They will be here this afternoon to conduct their investigation."
Long said the plane was made from a kit, but was a registered aircraft.
He also said that one of the residents of the home whose driveway the plane crashed in, responded to the crash and tried unsuccessfully to revive the pilot.
Law enforcement are trying to determine where the plane was coming from.
Neighbor Tricia Reid, said she didn't see anything, but heard the plane crash into some trees.
She said she heard the sound of wood snapping and the grinding of the engine, but that when she responded with another neighbor it was too late for the pilot.
"Christmas will never be the same again for (the pilot's family)," she said. "I'm so sorry this happened."
Williamson County Emergency Management Agency Director Mac Purdy said, he sheriff's department was the first on the scene, then the fire department and emergency management services."
Story and photo ➤ http://www.tennessean.com
The crash was reported just before 1 p.m. at 3999 Casparis Road. The sheriff said a neighbor saw the plane and heard it crash.
The crash happened about 50 yards from someone's home. A neighbor tried to help the pilot.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board is responding to the crash.
Story, video and photo gallery ➤ http://www.wsmv.com
LEIPER'S FORK, Tenn. - A pilot was killed in a plane crash in a remote part of Williamson County.
The crash was reported around 1 p.m. Thursday in an area south of Interstate 840, about ten miles west of Thompson’s Station, in the Boston community.
Federal Aviation Administration officials said the plane was a Zodiac 601XL, amateur-built aircraft. They confirmed only the pilot was on board. Local officials confirmed he passed away.
A witness said she heard a loud boom near Mobley's Cut and Casparis Road in Leiper's Fork. She told NewsChannel 5 a small aircraft crashed into a tree then a field, not far from a barn.
Officials from the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office confirmed they were called out to investigate, but additional details were not available.
The National Transportation Safety Board was sent to determine the probable cause of the crash.
Story and photo gallery ➤ https://www.newschannel5.com
It happened on Casparis Road, just south of Interstate 840, around 1 p.m.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the amateur-built aircraft collided with trees before crashing into a field. Sheriff Jeff Long said the crash site is about 40 to 50 yards away from a home. No one inside the home was injured.
According to Long, a neighbor saw the plane going down and called 911 before rendering aid to the victim.
“It’s a tragedy ... Someone has lost their loved one and that hits home for all of us,” he said.
The crash victim’s identity has not been released.
Long said there was no indication the pilot tried to land the plane prior to the crash. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Long said it’s been at least eight or nine years since the last plane crash in Williamson County.
Story and photo ➤ http://wkrn.com
