A training flight has taken the lives of three Civil Air Patrol flyers in Tennessee. After an overnight search, the wreckage of a CAP Cessna 182 was found in mountainous terrain near Beech Grove, TN, 40 miles northwest of Knoxville.

The accident was reported late Saturday evening but the wreckage was not found til the next morning. The Cessna carried an instructor and two pilots to an annual mountain flying clinic.

CAP Captain Jim Lawson noted that, "Flying in mountainous terrain is difficult and the Patrol trains in it often..."

CAP Director of Marketing & Public Relations, Mary Nell Crowe, released a statment late Sunday that said, "It is with deep regret that I inform you another one of our planes was involved in a fatal aircraft accident Saturday afternoon, 10 August, in eastern Tennessee. Three of our members were in a Cessna 182 participating in a mountain flying clinic. There were no survivors.

Our pilots are some of the best-trained in the world, as reflected by our enviable safety record for the past few years. However, situations like this remind us that we must never lose sight of the dangers involved in all of our flying missions. May I encourage each of you to use this unfortunate opportunity to encourage the members under your command to refresh their commitment to "safety first" in all of their mission areas.

As we reflect upon our loss, may I ask each of you to keep the families and friends of the victims, who will be deeply affected by this accident, in your thoughts and prayers."

**   Report created 08/12/2002   Record 36  **
IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 9307X        Make/Model: C182      Description: 182, Skylane
  Date: 08/10/2002     Time: 2042
  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
  City: LAKE CITY   State: TN   Country: US
DESCRIPTION
  ACFT PERFORMING PRACTICE GRID SEARCH NEAR KNOXVILLE DOWNTOWN ISLAND AIRPORT (DKX). CAP (CPF4107) REPORTED ACFT ONE HOUR OVERDUE AT 2130Z.  (AT 2145Z AND ACFT 25 MILES NE OF VOLUNTEER VORTAC REPORTED ELT RECEIVED.)  LAKE CITY, TN
INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   3
                 # Crew:  3     Fat:   3     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
WEATHER: 2953Z FEW70 10SM 26009KT 31/18 A3012 ASOS.
OTHER DATA
  Activity: Training      Phase: Unknown      Operation: Public
  Departed: KNONVILLE, TN               Dep Date: 08/10/2002   Dep. Time: 1730
  Destination: KNOXVILLE, TN            Flt Plan: NONE         Wx Briefing:
  Last Radio Cont: UNK
  Last Clearance: UNK
  FAA FSDO: NASHVILLE, TN  (SO03)                 Entry date: 08/12/2002

FMI: http://nhq.cap.gov