Selby updates UCRA board about plane crash investigation

The aircraft crash of April 26 has still lingered in the minds of both White County residents and the Upper Cumberland Regional Airport, and a preliminary report is expected soon. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is scheduled to release a report containing just the facts and data within the month.

All that is still known at this time is that the crash, in a field near Howell Cemetery Road, claimed the life of the pilot and two passengers on their way to the UCRA from Alabama. Airport Manager Dean Selby said that the NTSB had been investigating and gathering data the past few weeks, and their report should come soon.

“It was a horrible situation, and I feel for the families and people involved in that,” Selby said, during the May 13 meeting of the Upper Cumberland Regional Airport board of directors. “They haven’t put out just the fact-finding report yet. Usually, it is one week to one month after the accident, so we are still in the timeframe of where we should see it.”

The probable cause report for an aircraft crash usually takes the NTSB 12 to 18 months to put out, so that will not arrive until next year. The report expected to arrive soon merely states all the known facts and data regarding the crash, with no speculation on a cause.

In other business, one of the most notable items discussed was the effort to produce a new and improved website for the airport. This effort arises from a law passed in 2024 that requires that all state or local government bodies must maintain a website that informs the public of meeting agendas, while preventing the body from avoiding public disclosure of business.

The airport has found a contractor for the job that will be at minimal cost to the airport while hosting the server. While no date was given for when this website would be fully functional and up, the deadline for compliance to this law in Putnam County is April 2026. Putnam County is one of the four entities that comprise the airport board: White County, City of Sparta, Putnam County, and City of Cookeville.

The two new hangars being constructed, the northend and southend hangars, are nearing completion. The northend hangar is about to be sheeted and have the doors hung, and the southend hangar is right behind it. The doors should be hung in about a week and a half to two weeks.

Overall, the airport is remaining steady. Their fuel sales have remained flat but so have many other airports of similar size the past few months. The airport has remained competitive in that fuel sale market. Other than the April 26 crash, there have been no major changes, events, or issues at the airport.