2021 Percy Priest Lake Cessna Citation Crash

Setting the Scene: A Routine Flight

It was a cloudy morning in Tennessee, the kind that's more familiar than any passerby would note. The air was dense with a light drizzle, a typical late spring rain that cradled the southeast landscape in a grayish hue. On May 29, 2021, the Smyrna-Rutherford County Airport bustled with its regular fervor, small aircraft humming through pre-flight routines. Among them was a Cessna Citation 501 — a sleek, small business jet that promised its passengers an efficient journey. With seven individuals on board, this flight wasn't just a matter of logistics; it was emblematic of something more significant for those aboard, each tied not just by the purpose of this journey but by the threads of their shared lives.

Inside the jet, leading figures from the Remnant Fellowship Church prepared for what should have been a short, unremarkable flight. The church, based in nearby Brentwood, was a prominent fixture in the community. Its founder, Gwen Shamblin Lara, was no stranger to attention. Her legacy, intertwined with religious fervor and weight-loss ideologies, drew both loyal followers and external scrutiny. Accompanying her was her husband, Joe Lara, known to most as the face of Tarzan from television screens. They were joined by other key members, all leaders in their right — all faces that the congregation knew and cherished.

Moments Before Impact

At approximately 10:50 AM, the Cessna lifted off the runway, slicing through the misty air. It was bound for a location still resonating with organizational aspirations and spiritual missions. But within moments — in a cruel twist of fate — clear skies and peaceful hearts were shattered. The aircraft faltered. A witness would later recount the haunting trajectory: a steep dive on what should have been a routine ascent.

Emergency services were flooded with frantic calls. Among them, one could almost hear the repeated cries of disbelief, echoes of urgency overshadowing the distressing reality unfolding above Percy Priest Lake.

The Crash and Its Jarring Finality

Barely a whisper after takeoff, at around 11:00 AM, came the smash of reality—a collision with water that drove the aircraft into the murky depths of the lake. Silence enveloped the scene soon after, leaving only the tireless ripple of water to mark what had just occurred. The chaos that ensued was brisk, a testament to human responsiveness amid catastrophe. Local firefighters were among the first at the scene, their reflective gear glinting under overcast skies as they coordinated with police to begin initial rescue efforts. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, equipped for the specialized demands of water recoveries, joined in earnest.

As search operations kicked into high gear, each piece of debris found told a fragment of the story — yet together, they painted an incomplete, heart-rending picture. Hope, however frail, clung to the shores, even as truth stared back from the lake's now-peaceful surface.

Ripples of Grief and Shock

The passing of Gwen Shamblin Lara and Joe Lara sent a shiver down the spine of the broader community, but inside the Remnant Fellowship Church, the loss was profoundly personal. Members lost not just leaders, but familiar voices and faces they had known intimately. The church community, already bound by shared beliefs, felt the vacuum left by the absence of its architects. There were tears, unwavering faith, and the beginnings of a long journey toward healing.

Around the region, sentiments were as turbulent as the weather that day. News outlets buzzed with details and memories of those lost, their stories an invisible thread connecting viewers behind screens and listeners by radios. Economic concerns loomed, yet in the wake of mourning, material losses paled against the weight of seven souls.

A Search for Answers

As misery gave way to method, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stepped in, their role not just procedural but pivotal. With the disk of the black box yet to yield comprehensive insights, investigations launched into every conceivable facet: the aircraft's mechanical history, the pilot's credentials, weather's potential as an uninvited culprit.

Piece by piece, teams analyzed, reconstructed, and probed. But Percy Priest Lake held its secrets tight, a mirror for reflexion and compression. With considered vigilance, each submerged avenue of possibility was pursued.

The Lingering Echo

Even as the waters of Percy Priest returned to their placid state, the whispers of that day lingered. The community wrapped itself tight, comforting those most affected, while undeniably—though some perhaps unknowingly—contributing to broader dialogues on aviation safety. Pastor-led prayers were accompanied by conversations in private homes, focused on the standards of private flights and the silent solemnity of nature.

Today, the quest for closure remains ever poignant, with the NTSB investigation still underway, the final conclusions inboxed in patient anticipation. Yet, the legacy of those who boarded that Cessna endures, not merely in memory but in the changes they unwittingly set forth—a tapestry of individual stories woven into a much larger discourse, one that challenges and reaffirms our bravest human impulses: to lead, to adventure, to console, to remember.