NTSB Identification: ATL04LA097
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, April 23, 2004 in Oakland, TN
Aircraft: Durr Lancair Leacy, registration: N511WD
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain
errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final
report has been completed.

On April 23, 2004, at 1002 central daylight time, a Durr, Lancair
Legacy, N511WD, registered to C and D Aircraft Sales, operating as a 14
CFR Part 91 personal flight, encountered weather while in radio contact
with Memphis Air Traffic Control Tower, Departure Radar East (ATCT).
Radio and radar contact was lost at 10:00. Attempts to reestablish
contact with the pilot was unsuccessful. Instrument meteorological
conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was
filed. The airplane was destroyed and located in the vicinity of
Oakland, Tennessee. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The flight
originated from Diamond Head, Mississippi, on April 23, 2004, at 0840.

According to Greenwood Automated Flight Service Station, the pilot filed
an instrument flight plan and obtained an abbreviated weather briefing.
The pilot informed the briefer that he knew about the weather along his
planned route of flight and he wanted to know about the thunderstorm
activity. At the end of the briefing the pilot told the briefer that he
was going to go take a look.

Review of transcripts between Memphis ATCT revealed the pilot was at
6,000 feet and requested assistance to deviate around rain showers and
thunderstorms. The controller informed the pilot that he was going to
run into a 10 mile band of showers that was crossing his flight path.
The controller stated, the quickest way through the weather was on a
heading of 330-degrees. The pilot stated, "alright sir we'll go to three
thirty and we'll slow down a little bit." A short time later the
controller informed the pilot that it appeared the airplane was
encountering some up drafts. The controller told the pilot there were no
targets around his altitude, and he should be out of the weather in
about 10 miles. The pilot acknowledged the transmission. The controller
made a radio call in the blind stating that radar contact was lost 30
miles northeast of Memphis. He further stated, if you can hear, suggest
a heading of northwest bound to get through the weather. You are in an
area of level four and level five thunderstorms. No communication was
received from the pilot. Review of radar data revealed the airplane
started a descending right turn at 09:58:54 and the last radar beacon
code was at 14:59:12.