1963 Camden PA-24 crash
A Piper PA-24 Comanche similar to the accident aircraft
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| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | 5 March 1963 |
| Summary | Pilot error |
| Site |
Camden, Tennessee, United States Coordinates: 36°03′44″N 88°09′38″W / 36.06222°N 88.16056°W |
| Passengers | 3 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Fatalities | 4 (all) |
| Injuries (non-fatal) | 0 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Piper PA-24-250 Comanche |
| Registration | N7000P |
| Flight origin | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Destination | Nashville, Tennessee |
On March 5, 1963, country music stars Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, and Hawkshaw Hawkins were killed in an airplane crash near Camden, Tennessee, United States, along with the pilot Randy Hughes. The accident occurred as the three artists were returning home to Nashville, Tennessee, after performing in Kansas City, Missouri.
Shortly after takeoff from a refueling stop, the pilot lost control of the small Piper PA-24 Comanche while flying in low visibility conditions, and subsequently crashed into a wooded area, leaving no survivors.
Investigators concluded that the crash was caused by the non-instrument rated pilot's decision to operate under visual flight rules (VFR) in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).
At approximately 2 pm on Tuesday, March 5, 1963, a Piper Comanche departed Fairfax Municipal Airport in Kansas City. It was operating as an unscheduled passenger cross-country business flight under visual flight rules to its destination of Nashville, 411 nautical miles (761 km; 473 mi) to the southeast. Later that afternoon, the aircraft landed at Rogers Municipal Airport in Rogers, Arkansas, to refuel, and departed 15 minutes afterwards.
Pilot Hughes later made contact with Dyersburg Regional Airport in Dyersburg, Tennessee, and landed there at 5:05 pm, where he requested a weather briefing for the remainder of the flight to Nashville. He was informed by Federal Aviation Administration employee Leroy Neal that local conditions were marginal for VFR flight and weather at the destination airport was below VFR minimums. Hughes then asked if the Dyersburg airport runways were lighted at night in case he had to return and Neal replied that they were. The pilot then informed Neal he would fly east towards the Tennessee River and navigate to Nashville from there, as he was familiar with the terrain in that area. Hughes expressed concern with a 2,049-foot (625 m) high television transmitting tower north of Nashville, then stated that he would attempt the flight and return if the weather conditions worsened.
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