There was absolutely no need for Jim to land at any other airport; he just needed to avoid the rain area, and he thought he could do that by staying on his present heading, as the rain was off to his left as he looked in the direction of the airport. So he declined to turn right and in so doing, made his first of three fateful decisions that day.
Unfortunately, the intense rain cell intersected his flight path and opened up on him and he lost his visual references.
Jim's close friend and fellow pilot, T. Tommy Cutrer of WSM, said "I blame the controller," but I do not share that view.
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