Authorities Find Plane That Crashed Sunday Afternoon With 82-Year-Old Pilot Inside

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

photo by Brent McDonald, News Channel 9

Authorities have found the crash site of a small plane near the Collegedale Airport as well as the body of 82-year-old pilot, Clarence Andrews, inside.

He had taken off from the airport on Sunday afternoon.

At 12:45 a.m., the city of Collegedale dispatch center received a 911 call from his daughter, Catherine Failla of Atlanta, saying she had not heard from him.

It was found that his dog, car and cellphone were still at the Collegedale Airport.

Collegedale Police Department began searching the area where the cell phone last "pinged" a cell tower located around the 4400 Block of Alabama Road. The Collegedale Police Department called for assistance in the air and notified the Airforce Rescue Coordination Center who asked the Tennessee Wing Civil Air Patrol Aircrew to respond to the city of Collegedale.

At 10:30 a.m., an aircrew reported to emergency officials an aircraft upside-down off of the north end of the Collegedale Airport Runway.

Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department, Hamilton County HazMat Team, Hamilton County Special Tactics and Rescue Services (STARS) and the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Rescue responded to the crash site located off of McDonald Road. Rescuers on the scene reported the single-engine aircraft was upside down in a wooded area with Mr. Andrews secured in the plane.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has an accident investigative team enroute to the scene with an expectant arrival time of 5-6 p.m.

Plane description:
Manufacturer: Cassutt
Model: Sport Racer
Color: Yellow with Blue Accents
Description: single engine, propellor driven, mid-wing cantilever monoplane with fixed tail wheel undercarriage. The fuselage and tail are of fabric-covered steel tube construction, and the wings are built from plywood over wooden ribs.

Officials said pilots departing Collegedale Airport are not required by the FAA to file a flight plan. According the airport personnel, the pilot would announce by radio that he was departing the airfield and his direction of travel upon getting airborne.