Was Reportedly Trying To Save Vintage Hellcat

Famed Reno racer Art Vance died Saturday when the WWII-vintage Grumman F6F Hellcat he was flying crashed shortly after take-off from the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport in Tennessee. The aircraft had been on display at the Tennessee Museum of Aviation for several weeks, but reportedly did not undergo any type of maintenance or refueling operations during that time.

The aircraft, built in 1944, went down near Interstate 40, in mountains about five miles east of Cookesville, TN, shortly after departing Gatlinburg. Vance, 64, was reportedly trying to land on the highway.

The Hellcat was based at the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, CA, and was on its way to an air show in Arkansas when the mishap occurred. Vance was one of several volunteers who flew the organization's vintage aircraft.

Airport officials said the aircraft wasn't serviced between the time it arrived at Gatlinburg and the time it departed -- an interval of several weeks. TMA Director Bob Minter confirmed that Vance didn't request fuel or maintenance before departure, but indicated the aircraft may have been serviced just prior to arrival.

Vance was president of the Unlimited Air Racing Association and a well-known figure at air races like Reno.

"The Unlimited Division has lost a great leader who always looked out for the welfare of our members," wrote UARA members C.J. Stephens and Tom Camp in an online memorial to Vance. "Art, you will be forever missed, but never forgotten."

FAA Preliminary Accident Report

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 4994V        Make/Model: F6F       Description: GRUMMAN F6F-5
  Date: 10/08/2005     Time: 2103

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: MONTEREY   State: TN   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE ONE PERSON ON BOARD WAS
  FATALLY INJURED AND THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED, ON INTERSTATE 40, MONTEREY, TN

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   1
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:    0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:           Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: NOT REPORTED

OTHER DATA

  Departed:                             Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination:                          Flt Plan:              Wx Briefing: 
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: NASHVILLE, TN  (SO03)                 Entry date: 10/11/2005

FMI: www.tnairmuseum.com, www.ntsb.gov