N242RE Mooney Acclaim 3 fatalities Sparta, TN 4/26/2025

[exM20K]

https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/502469
https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/N242RE

-dan

[mike_elliott]

So terribly sad. If anybody knows a surviving spouse contact info, please let me know. I have a text into Don Maxwell to see what he might know.

 

[Jeff Uphoff]

Oh, no! That's not terribly far from here. Weather doesn't seem particularly bad, either--"easy" ILS conditions, and the FlightAware track looks normal right up until it disappears.  

--Up.

[Jeff Uphoff]

I just listened to the CTAF for KSRB via LiveATC and heard him make two completely routine calls, first an 11-mile final straight in for 4 and then a 3-mile final straight in for 4.

And then...nothing more.  

--Up.

[exM20K]

2 hours ago, Jeff Uphoff said:

I just listened to the CTAF for KSRB via LiveATC and heard him make two completely routine calls, first an 11-mile final straight in for 4 and then a 3-mile final straight in for 4.

And then...nothing more.  

--Up.

It is a very strange one.  The plane flew often, not a new owner, not terrible weather, and relatively clear ground and low terrain on the approach.   Very sad.

[Fly Boomer]

2 minutes ago, exM20K said:

It is a very strange one.  The plane flew often, not a new owner, not terrible weather, and relatively clear ground and low terrain on the approach.   Very sad.

Fuel starvation?

[NickG]

Terrible. RIP

[hubcap]

The Flight Aware data looks like the plane’s groundspeed was really slow before it ended.

[Schllc]

Sad and unusual indeed. 
Vigilance must be a mantra…

[Jeff Uphoff]

11 minutes ago, hubcap said:

The Flight Aware data looks like the plane’s groundspeed was really slow before it ended.

Yeah, I noticed that. Looks like landing speed rather than IFR approach speed.

There was a bit of headwind, but not that much, it didn’t appear.  

—Up.

[Mooney in Oz]

6 hours ago, Jeff Uphoff said:

I just listened to the CTAF for KSRB via LiveATC and heard him make two completely routine calls, first an 11-mile final straight in for 4 and then a 3-mile final straight in for 4.

And then...nothing more.  

--Up.

From the CTAF recording, we’re you able to tell if there was another aircraft in front or some other reason he may have been slowing?

[1980Mooney]

2 hours ago, Mooney in Oz said:

From the CTAF recording, we’re you able to tell if there was another aircraft in front or some other reason he may have been slowing?

From ADSB-Exchange playback, no other aircraft show up in the vicinity of KSRB while N242RE is approaching.

https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?replay=2025-04-26-16:47&lat=36.020&lon=-85.587&zoom=12.4

Also if you look at FlightAware arrivals and departures at Upper Cumberland Rgnl Airport (Sparta, TN) SRB on April 26 around 11:47 AM CDT, there is no activity at the airport.

https://www.flightaware.com/live/airport/KSRB/arrivals

https://www.flightaware.com/live/airport/KSRB/departures

[wiguy]

 There was mention from a ground witness of ‘the engine cutting off then on’? If so, sounds a little like a fuel issue. 

[dkkim73]

I wondered if he had an in flight issue mandating a descent, with distraction maybe causing a trim stall. 

NB this is of course all speculation. Very sad, overall. 

(Edit: fixed autocorrect, mandating not managing)

[Jeff Uphoff]

7 hours ago, Mooney in Oz said:

From the CTAF recording, we’re you able to tell if there was another aircraft in front or some other reason he may have been slowing?

At the very beginning of the half-hour block of audio, there's a plane announcing it will shoot the published miss, and then it departed the area. Nothing for 10+ minutes, then this plane made its 11 and 3 mile calls in the middle of the block, and then nothing more for the remainder. Sounded quiet there.

--Up.

[anthonydesmet]

I think on flight aware he went from Tn. to Al. earlier that morning then quick turn back to Tn. If I read it correctly. Assume maybe conservative 3 hour engine on time with grnd/taxi at both ends. Still should be enough for that day assuming he was full fuel at the beginning…..but the speed before impact seems like he might have been trying to capture best glide…..sad and strange for sure.

[dkkim73]

17 minutes ago, anthonydesmet said:

Still should be enough for that day assuming he was full fuel at the beginning….

Full fuel in the Acclaim doesn't leave enough weight for 2 pax unless they are small. 

[croissant]

I am a friend of the pilot. He was based out of KSRP. His wife is surrounded by her family and his. She loved this man more than anything in life. It is truly devastating. 
The flight data and the picture of the crash site indicate a very steep nose-dive, my guess is loss of pitch control. no way to recover from that at 400 AGL. Could be a medical event, but I doubt it. His favorite song was Born in the USA. Feel free to blast it to 11 today.  
 

[dkkim73]

1 hour ago, croissant said:

His favorite song was Born in the USA. Feel free to blast it to 11 today.  

I will actually do that. I'm sorry for your loss, and theirs. RIP

[Nico1]

13 hours ago, hubcap said:

The Flight Aware data looks like the plane’s groundspeed was really slow before it ended.

Checking previous landing that day, approach speeds were quite similar and just as slow about 1.5nm from threshold. Of course ADSB is ground speed so without wind aloft info hard to tell actual airspeed.

 

4 hours ago, wiguy said:

 There was mention from a ground witness of ‘the engine cutting off then on’? If so, sounds a little like a fuel issue. 

Going from near idle to full throttle can sound like that, esp if pushing the throttle abruptly with the governor's lag in adjusting the surge in RPM.

 

2 hours ago, croissant said:

I am a friend of the pilot. He was based out of KSRP. His wife is surrounded by her family and his. She loved this man more than anything in life. It is truly devastating. 
The flight data and the picture of the crash site indicate a very steep nose-dive, my guess is loss of pitch control. no way to recover from that at 400 AGL. Could be a medical event, but I doubt it. His favorite song was Born in the USA. Feel free to blast it to 11 today.  
 

Very sorry for your loss, and their families. Very sad.

[croissant]

5 hours ago, Nico1 said:

Checking previous landing that day, approach speeds were quite similar and just as slow about 1.5nm from threshold. Of course ADSB is ground speed so without wind aloft info hard to tell actual airspeed.

 

Going from near idle to full throttle can sound like that, esp if pushing the throttle abruptly with the governor's lag in adjusting the surge in RPM.

 

Very sorry for your loss, and their families. Very sad.

There was fuel leaking at the crash site, so he didn't run out of fuel. Mechanical failure? that leads to a stall? I don't have enough experience to even guess... 

[LANCECASPER]

[Jeff Uphoff]

15 minutes ago, LANCECASPER said:

Wow, is it just me, or is there not anything visible that looks like a typical forced-landing roll/slide? It's like...he came straight down?

--Up.

[redbaron1982]

8 minutes ago, Jeff Uphoff said:

Wow, is it just me, or is there not anything visible that looks like a typical forced-landing roll/slide? It's like...he came straight down?

--Up.

It looks like there is a strip of disturbed grass right before the aiplane's final position, as if it landing in the clear between the two tree lines, and then it fall into that ditch or small stream/bayou.

EDIT: giving it a second thought it doesn't make sense that the lighter patch of grass before the airplane is the result of a force landing, the distance between the two tree lines doesn't seem large enough to make a force landing without clipping the first's line trees.

Very tragic, it looks like a very experienced pilot, with a new (in GA terms) and very well-equipped airplane.

Edited Monday at 01:19 AM by redbaron1982

[Jeff Uphoff]

6 minutes ago, redbaron1982 said:

It looks like there is a strip of disturbed grass right before the aiplane's final position, as if it landing in the clear between the two tree lines, and then it fall into that ditch or small stream/bayou.

Very tragic, it looks like a very experienced pilot, with a new (in GA terms) and very well-equipped airplane.

Ah, I see that now. Damn.

--Up.