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stating it was over Gray intersection[1] leaving 5,000 feet making an outer marker approach. The controller advised Flight 308 to report leaving the outer marker inbound.
At 2032, because there was other traffic in the area, the controller called Flight 308 to ask its position. The captain, who occupied the right seat, at this time asked if the glide slope was operating. The controller advised that it was and asked if Flight 308 was inbound to the outer marker. The captain then stated that his ADF was acting up; that he did not pick up the outer marker either aurally or visually and that they were making a procedure turn. The controller acknowledged and asked the flight's altitude. No further word was received from the flight and it must be presumed that the aircraft crashed immediately after its final transmission.
A Piedmont Airlines DC-3 had arrived at the Bristol interesection[2] at 2028 and was holding, awaiting clearance to approach to the airport. The Piedmont pilot, a witness at the public hearing, testified that he was VFR at 5,000 feet, in the holding pattern; however, he could see a cloud layer east of the airport in the ILS approach area which extended from about 3,000 feet to 7,500 feet. Clear of the clouds, the visibility was more than 15 miles. He said he could see "lights from several cities to the west and north and could see the Tri-City Airport." The Piedmont captain testified that he heard the conversations between Flight 308 and the approach controller at 2024 and 2032 and was concerned after the latter, when he could not see the Southeast aircraft in the Bluff City area. He said he made special note of the time, 2032, because he knew Flight 308 should not still be eastbound eight minutes after passing Gray intersection. However, he did not see any other aircraft in the area. Several minutes later he canceled his IFR flight plan and proceeded VFR to the airport via the radio range, landing at 2047.
At approximately 2052, after Flight 308 had failed to respond to any radio calls, the controller initiated accident search procedures. The pilot of Piedmont Flight 383 flew in the ILS approach area on his departure from Tri-City in an attempt to locate Flight 308 which was presumed down. He did not see any sign of the aircraft and reported that the reduced visibility and low ceiling in the area of Holston Lake prevented any further search.
The wreckage was located January 9, 1959, about 1130 by a Tennessee Air National Guard aircraft on the northwest side of the Holston mountain range 18.75 n. m. (nautical miles) east of the Tri-City Airport and 1.25 n. m. north of the ILS localiser path. The terrain in which the aircraft crashed was extremely rugged and heavily wooded. A ground party led by Civil Air Patrol personnel reached the scene late in the afternoon after an arduous climb up the snow-covered mountainside and reported back that there were no survivors. A study of the impact area revealed that the aircraft, while on a course of 235 degrees, first struck several trees which severed the left wing approximately 21 feet from the tip and destroyed a portion of the horizontal stabilizer.
- ↑ The intersection of the southwest leg of Tri-City low frequency radio range and the 275-degree radial of the Tri-VOR—3 miles southwest of the airport.
- ↑ The intersection of the northeast leg of the Tri-City low frequency radio range and 344-degree radial of the Tri-VOR—9 miles northeast of the airport.
