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NTSB: Cause of fatal Middle TN plane crash that killed Gwen Shamblin Lara released

The report says the pilot lost control of the plane due to spatial disorientation.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The National Transportation Safety Board released its final report Wednesday on a fatal 2021 plane crash in Middle Tennessee that killed Gwen Shamblin Lara and other Remnant Fellowship Church members.

That church is located in Brentwood. The crash killed a total of seven people, according to WSMV in Nashville.

The plane was piloted by Joe Lara, the husband of Gwen. It crashed into Percy Priest Lake after taking off from Smyrna Airport on May 29, 2021. They said the plane was a Cessna Citation CE-501, and was destroyed by the crash.

According to the report, the plane entered the clouds and made some heading changes, along with several climbs and descents. It said the plane started descending left, which is said was consistent with "a type of spatial disorientation known as somatogravic illusion."

They said that likely as a result of the disorientation, the pilot experienced a "high workload managing the flight profile, which would have had a further adverse effect on his performance." They said neither the pilot nor the pilot-rated passenger reported any medication or medical conditions to the Federal Aviation Administration.

They also said that while they found low levels of ethanol in the pilot's and pilot-rated passenger's muscle tissues, it likely had been a result of the length of time needed to recover them from the lake and the circumstances surrounding the crash. They said the low levels of ethanol were not likely a result of ingestion.

"As such, the airplane entered a high acceleration, unusual attitude, descending left turn from which the pilot was not able to recover," the report said.

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