Guys,
The 310 is not requiered to have a FDR, read your regs regarding FDRs and CVRs. Now what I find interesting is this... On this trip the pilot filed a FAA aircraft equipment suffix of /G, meaning GPS and mode C transponder. The previous flight, FAY-LZU was filed as a /A, meaning VOR/DME with a mode C transponder. The flight before that from SFQ-FAY was filed as a /T, meaning no dme and transponder without mode C. Either different pilots flew each leg, or this bird had some avionics work performed over the last few trips. I would not be suprised if some work was done at LZU. Complete and utter speculation here, but given only two updates on track at flight aware (flightaware provides one minute track logs) and the last one shows the aircraft at 2800 feet msl, given the average terrain altitude in the area at 1050 feet msl, that means the aircraft was descending at a minimum of about 1700 fpm for it to go from 2800 to the ground without another update one minute later on flightaware. So I would say there is a good chance of some sort of electrical failure or avionics which led to vertigo and the subsequent crash. IFR departures out of LZU are assigned an initial altitude of 3000, and considering the aircraft took off on runway 7, and made the typical left turn out assigned by the A80 Tracon Satellite controller, through Gwinnett tower, I'd say the pilot had the aircraft stable and under control. An engine failure at that point almost would have been a non event. So my speculation is avionics/electrical related, runaway pitch trim, or plain old spatial disorientation. He could have lost an engine and from there became distracted and loss control of the aircraft, we just don't know.
Regardless of the cause however, my thoughts go out to all those impacted by this event and may the lost rest in peace.
