On April 4, , it executed a forced landing on Georgia State Route in New Hope , Paulding County, Georgia , United States, after suffering hail damage and losing thrust on both engines in a severe thunderstorm. The flight crew consisted of Captain William W. Keele Jr. The weather system had greatly intensified in the meantime. The peak convective activity was later shown on ground radar to be near Rome, Georgia , to which the flight was cleared to proceed by air traffic control.
The crew attempted to pick out a path through the cells using their on-board weather radar display, but they were apparently misled by the radar's attenuation effect , and they proceeded toward what they believed was a low-intensity area, when in fact it was the peak convective activity point, attenuated by rain. As the aircraft descended from its cruising altitude of 17, to 14, feet 5, to 4, m near Rome VOR , it apparently entered a thunderstorm cell and encountered a massive amount of rain and hail.
The crew attempted unsuccessfully to restart the engines, gliding down unpowered, while simultaneously trying to find an emergency landing field within range.
Air traffic control suggested Dobbins Air Force Base , about 20 miles 17 nmi; 32 km east, as a possible landing site, but it was beyond reach. Cartersville Airport , a general-aviation airport about 15 miles 13 nmi; 24 km north with a much shorter runway intended for light aircraft was considered, but it was behind the aircraft and now out of reach. Before the aircraft turned toward Dobbins, the closest airport was another general-aviation airport, Cornelius Moore Airport now Polk County Airport β Cornelius Moore Field , but the air traffic controllers did not know about it it was just outside their area of responsibility and not shown on their screens , and it was not considered.
As the aircraft ran out of altitude and options, gliding with a broken windshield and no engine power, the crew made visual contact with the ground and spotted a straight section of a rural highway below.
