Bonanza N47WT: In-Flight Breakup Near Franklin, Tennessee

A Beechcraft Bonanza broke apart in flight over Williamson County, Tennessee, after its pilot flew into a line of convective weather he had been vectored toward, and lost control trying to work his way back out of it.

A Family Flight to Kentucky

Dr. Lucius “Tre” Doucet III, a Baton Rouge plastic surgeon, departed Louisiana Regional Airport on the morning of May 15, 2024, with his two adult children, Giselle and Jean Luc Doucet, aboard his 1966 Beechcraft V35 Bonanza. The flight was headed to Bowman Field in Louisville, Kentucky, where the group planned to pick up a third family member. Giselle was a veterinary student and Jean Luc an engineering student, both at LSU, both set to graduate that same weekend.

A Deviation Into Weather

About three hours into the flight, as the Bonanza approached Nashville Approach's airspace at 9,000 ft, the pilot requested a deviation and a climb. Air traffic control approved both, though the pilot did not state a reason and the controller did not ask for one. Vectored onto a 360° heading toward the EWO VORTAC, the airplane flew directly into an area of moderate-to-heavy precipitation that the controller's own display did not depict accurately — a limitation the NTSB later found had reduced the controller's ability to warn the pilot of what lay ahead.

Loss of Control

Told twice to descend to and maintain 9,000 ft, the pilot acknowledged both instructions, then stopped responding. Radar data shows the aircraft turning onto a track of about 070°, descending, its groundspeed climbing from 180 to over 210 knots. The vertical speed built quickly — first to around 4,000 ft/min, then, per the NTSB's final report, rapidly increasing to over 10,000 ft/min in the final seconds. A witness on the ground heard a loud pop and captured video of debris falling out of the base of the clouds. The Bonanza had already broken apart before it came into clear air.

What the Investigation Found

Investigators recovered wreckage scattered across a half-mile radius, with both wings separated from the fuselage — consistent with the airframe being overstressed beyond its structural limits during the uncontrolled descent. The NTSB's final report, adopted in June 2026, found the probable cause to be the pilot's flight into convective weather, which led to a loss of control from spatial disorientation and the in-flight breakup that followed. The board also cited the controller's weather display as a contributing factor, since it did not accurately depict the storm's intensity along the aircraft's route.

This reconstruction was researched from official investigation records where they exist, the original air traffic control recording, and contemporary reporting. The aircraft movement, timeline and written account were assembled independently by Flight Follower. Where an investigation is open or no probable cause has been published, the account says so rather than offering one.

Timeline

~08:50

N47WT departs Louisiana Regional Airport (KREG), Gonzales, LA, on an IFR flight plan to Bowman Field (KLOU), Louisville, Kentucky.

En route

Climbs to 9,000 ft, talking to Memphis Center, then handed off to Nashville Approach as the flight nears Tennessee.

Event 3

The pilot requests a deviation and a climb; both are approved. The aircraft climbs to about 9,500 ft, cleared direct to the EWO VORTAC near New Hope, Kentucky.

Event 4

Vectored onto a 360° heading, the aircraft enters an area of moderate-to-heavy precipitation. The controller instructs the pilot twice to descend to and maintain 9,000 ft; the pilot acknowledges both times.

Event 5

The aircraft turns onto a track of about 070°, descending. Groundspeed increases from about 180 to 214 knots.

Event 6

Vertical speed reaches roughly 4,000 ft/min, then increases sharply — the NTSB final report states the descent rate rapidly increased to over 10,000 ft/min in the final moments.

Event 7

A witness hears a loud pop and records video of debris falling from the base of the clouds. The airplane has broken apart in flight, inside the cloud layer.

Event 8

Wreckage is found scattered over a half-mile radius; both wings have separated from the fuselage.

Accident Facts

Incident date: May 15, 2024
Registration: N47WT
Aircraft: Beechcraft V35(TC) Bonanza
Location: Near Franklin, Tennessee
Operation: Part 91 personal
Category: Fatal crash — in-flight breakup after loss of control
NTSB probable cause: “The pilot's flight into convective weather, which resulted in a loss of control due to spatial disorientation and a subsequent inflight breakup of the airplane. Contributing to the accident was the lack of accurate weather intensity depiction on the controller's display, which limited the controller's ability to warn the pilot of hazardous weather along the route of flight.” (verbatim, NTSB CAROL, ERA24FA217)
NTSB report: ERA24FA217 (final report approved June 10, 2026)

Sources

NTSB docket ERA24FA217 (CAROL record; probable cause and finding codes quoted verbatim)
AVweb, “NTSB Report On Tennessee V-35 Could Include A First” (avweb.com, Jun 6 2024)
GlobalAir, “Pilot exceeded maximum operating speed before in-flight breakup, NTSB says” (globalair.com, Jun 3 2024)
ABC News, “Father, 2 siblings set to graduate from college killed...” (abcnews.com)
WHAS11, “Father, two adult children identified in Tennessee plane crash”