On 29 May 2021, a Cessna 501 Citation I/SP crashed into the Percy Priest Lake in Tennessee. All seven occupants died, including actor Joe Lara and his wife, diet guru Gwen Shamblin Lara.[1][2] The cause of the accident is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).[2]

2021 Percy Priest Lake Cessna Citation crash

N66BK, the aircraft involved in the accident, in 2018 at Okeechobee County Airport, Florida
Accident
Date	29 May 2021 (2021-05-29)
Summary	Crashed into the lake; under investigation
Site	Percy Priest Lake, Tennessee, United States 36.156°N 86.613°W / 36.156; -86.613
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Cessna 501 Citation I/SP
Operator	JL&GL Productions LP
Registration	N66BK
Flight origin	Smyrna Airport, Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States
Destination	Palm Beach International Airport, Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Occupants	7
Passengers	6
Crew	1
Fatalities	7
Survivors	0

Accident

The aircraft, a 1982 model, had taken off from Smyrna Airport in Smyrna, Tennessee, at 10:50 a.m. for a planned Federal Aviation Regulations Part 91 personal flight to Palm Beach International Airport.[1] After takeoff, the aircraft started a right turn and climbed to an altitude of 2,900 ft (880 m) before descending to 1,800 ft (550 m), climbing again to 3,000 ft (910 m), and suddenly descending rapidly into the lake. Weather reports indicated the presence of an overcast cloud layer at 1,300 ft (400 m) in the area at the time.^{[citation needed]}

Aftermath

By 1 June 2021, searchers had recovered both aircraft engines, a significant portion of the fuselage, and unidentified human remains. Authorities had named the seven victims, all of whom were leaders at the Remnant Fellowship Church. While it initially remained unclear who was flying the aircraft when it crashed,[3] Joe Lara and another victim were pilots, but according to pilot certification records examined by USA Today, the other man lacked the required type rating to fly the jet.[2] Aviation International News said that Lara had a valid medical certificate and that both pilots had multi-engine and instrument ratings. However, the preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board stated, "The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane." and "The pilot held a type rating for the airplane with no restrictions. His most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) second-class medical certificate was issued on November 12, 2019, with the limitation that he 'must wear corrective lenses.'".[4] While the NTSB has not released the pilot's name during the ongoing investigation, according to a CNN article on June 15, 2021, "The pilot, who was among the seven killed, had a commercial pilot certificate and a private pilot certificate and had logged 1,680 total flight hours, 83 of those in the plane involved in the crash" which has led some reports to conclude the pilot could only have been Lara.[5][6]

References