SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — Just over two weeks following a plane crash in Sumner County, resulting in the pilot’s death, officials have shared new information regarding the event’s circumstances.

The preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board reveals that an Ercoupe 415-C, which was engaged in a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight, crashed near Gallatin at approximately 1 p.m. on July 2, causing extensive damage to the aircraft.

Emergency medical services personnel told News 2, the sister station of WJHL, that the crash was reported from the region of Collier Lane and Highway 25, prompting first responders to head towards the Liberty Lane vicinity.

The plane’s owner reportedly bought it several weeks before the crash and hired a pilot to fly it from the Spirit of St. Louis Airport (SUS) in St. Louis, Missouri, to his home airport, Western Carolina Regional Airport (RHP) in Andrews, North Carolina.

According to officials, on July 2, the pilot flew from SUS to Washington Regional Airport (FYG) in Washington, Missouri, to perform three touch-and-go landings since he didn’t have any experience in that make and model. After the three landings, he flew to Hopkinsville-Christian County Airport (HVC) in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, for fuel, but after the pilot topped off the tanks, the plane’s engine wouldn’t start due to a dead battery.

The NTSB said the pilot called the new owner to report the plane had an electrical issue and he didn’t feel comfortable flying over the mountains to RHP, so he was going to fly to Cleveland Regional Jetport (RZR) in Cleveland, Tennessee, and drop the plane off there. Then, someone helped the pilot hand-prop the plane to get the engine started.

Based on preliminary communication data, officials said the pilot contacted an air traffic controller about 20 minutes after taking off from HVC and told him the engine “was losing rpm and that he needed radar vectors to the closest airport.” The controller told the pilot he was seven miles away from an airport, but the pilot said the plane wouldn’t be able to reach that airport and he was setting up for an off-airport landing, marking the last communication received from the pilot.

The wreckage was located in a wooded area and oriented on a magnetic heading of 360°. The accident site was compact, and all major components of the airplane were accounted for. The airplane’s engine and instrument panel fractured off at the main spar and was located under the fuselage. The fuselage was wedged between two trees and resting on the engine and instrument panel.

The entire front section of the airplane, from the firewall forward, including the instrument panel, fuel tank and control yokes fractured off from the front of the main spar. It remained attached to the fuselage by electrical wires only. It was located underneath the fuselage and holding the airplane off the ground by 5 ft. The header fuel tank was breached, however about 4 gallons of fuel were removed. During examination of the fuel line to the carburetor the fuel shut off valve was partially closed. When the valve was removed for further examination, it was observed to be about 80% closed.

Cable and torque tube continuity was established to all primary flight controls. The aileron hinge connections were impact fractured.

The left wing remained attached to the fuselage. The leading edge had tree impression marks down the entire length. The last 2 feet of the wing was bent up by contact with tree branches. The left aileron remained attached to the wing. The left-wing fuel tank was intact. However, the fuel line was fractured off near the B-nut. The fuel tank contained about 4 gallons of fuel. The left main landing gear remained attached and intact.

The right wing remained attached to the fuselage. The right-wing leading edge had a tree impression mark about 1 ft from the wing tip. The wing fabric was torn in several places. The right-wing fuel tank was intact. The fuel line was fractured off near the B-nut, however, the fuel tank contained about 4 gallons of fuel. The main right landing gear remained attached and intact.

The tail section was bent sideways just forward of the rudder and elevator section. The left rudder was bent in half. The elevator remained attached and was intact. The right rudder was intact.

Both wood propeller blades were fractured midspan. The propeller blades were cut about 12 in from the hub to facilitate an engine run. The engine was intact and not damaged. The engine housing that included the instrument panel was strapped to a trailer. A temporary fuel line was plumbed to the carburetor. A battery was connected to the main battery wire. The master switch was turned on and power was applied to the damaged instrument panel. The key was used to turn on the magnetos and push button start switch was used to start the engine. Starter fluid was used to help start the engine due to the primer line being damaged. The engine started and was run at idle for several seconds before being shut down. A full power run was not attempted due to the propeller being cut and the engine being strapped to a trailer. No anomalies noted with the engine, that would have precluded normal operation.

Portion of NTSB preliminary crash report

The NTSB said the maintenance logbook revealed the plane’s most recent annual inspection was completed on Oct. 8, 2024, at which time the airframe had accumulated 1,575 total hours of operation. Meanwhile, the engine had accrued 79 hours since the major overhaul.

Officials noted in their report from Thursday, July 17, that the information was preliminary and subject to change. The identity of the pilot who was fatally injured in the crash has yet to be released.