GILES COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — The National Transportation Safety Board has released its final report and the probable cause of a plane crash that left a Knoxville pilot and her father dead in Giles County in 2023.
On Dec. 7, 2023, a Beech 35-C33 airplane was destroyed after it crashed into a remote area of Giles County and caught fire. The Giles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the single-engine aircraft went down on a farm near Diana Road.
Both people on board the plane died in the crash. Giles County officials identified them as 45-year-old Jenny Blalock, who was piloting the plane, and her father, 78-year-old James Blalock Jr., both of Knoxville.
DECEMBER 2023 | Two dead after small plane crash reported in Giles County
In the NTSB’s final report, which was released Thursday, the agency said the crash was likely caused by Jenny failing to maintain control of plane, causing pilot-induced oscillations and a subsequent loss of control before the plane crashed. According to the report, the investigation determined the pilot was likely using autopilot on the flight…