# Accident 20100924048129A: Cessna 172K, Chatsworth, GA, September 24, 2010 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: September 24, 2010, 22:49 local time - Place: Chatsworth, GA - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Descent - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.6881° N, 84.8164° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.6881&lon=-84.8164&mi=10 - Aircraft: N84249, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N84249-2017-05-26) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 172K (registry code 2072430, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172k) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172K - Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES - People aboard: 3 - Fatal injuries: 2 - Other injuries: 1 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 0 total, 0 in this make and model, 0 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA10FA502](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA10FA502) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100924048129A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2010 AT 2355 LCL I WAS CONTACTED BY THE ROC AND PATCHED INTO MURRAY COUNTY 911. I WAS ADVISED THAT AN ACCIDENT HAD OCCURRED AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IN CHATSWORTH GA. INVOLVING N84249 AND THAT THERE WERE TWO FATAL AND ONE CRITICAL BEING TRANSPORTED TO ERLANGER HOSPITAL IN CHATTANOOGA TN. I CONTACTED MY FRONT LINE MANAGER AND PROCEEDED TO THE ACCIDENT SCENE AND ARRIVED AT 0127 LCL. I WAS MET BY THE MURRAY COUNTY SHERIFF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. INITIAL SURVEY OF THE ACCIDENT SCENE RESULTED IN THE FOLLOWING OBSERVATIONS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FACING A MAGNETIC HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 020 DEGREES AND THE NOSE SECTION WAS COLLAPSED. THE TAIL/EMPENNAGE WAS BROKEN OFF AFT OF THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. THE RIGHT WING WAS SEPARATED FROM THE AFT SPAR ATTACHMENT AND FORWARD, THE AIRCRAFT WAS RESTING ON THE NOSE AND TAIL ATTITUDE OF 45 DEGREES. THE LEFT PILOT WAS LYING ON HER BACK ON THE GROUND AND FEET JAMMED IN THE FORWARD RUDDER PEDAL AREA. THE SEAT BELT WAS NOT LOCKED AND WAS HANGING DOWN. THE LEFT DOOR WAS UNDER THE BROKEN OFF NOSE GEAR. THE LEFT FORWARD SEAT REAR ATTACH POINTS WERE DISLODGED FROM THE SEAT TRACK. THE RIGHT PILOT WAS OBSERVED IMPACTED INTO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ON THE RIGHT STILL IN THE RESTRAINTS AND THE REAR LEGS OF THE SEAT WERE SEPARATED FROM THE SEAT TRACK. BAGGAGE AND CLOTHING MATERIAL WAS BETWEEN THE REAR SEAT AND THE FORWARD SEAT AND THE REAR SEAT WAS BROKEN FROM THE MOUNTS. THE REAR BAGGAGE DOOR WAS OPEN. A STRONG ACID ODOR WAS NOTED. I ACCESSED THE LEFT AND RIGHT FUEL TANKS AND NOTED NO FUEL PRESENT IN THE RIGHT TANK AND SLIGHT FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL TANK RUPTURES OR FUEL EXTERNAL OF THE FUEL TANKS. THE LEFT WING WAS CRUSHED TO THE SPAR OUTBOARD OF THE WING STRUT. THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE EXHIBITED CRUMPLING AND VERTICAL MOVEMENT OUTBOARD OF THE STRUT. ACCORDING TO TWO WITNESSES AT THE SCENE (^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^) THE AIRCRAFT PASSED OVERHEAD WITH THE LIGHT ON TOWARDS A GO KART TRACK THAT WAS BRIGHTLY ILLUMINATED. AS THE AIRCRAFT PASSED OVERHEAD A SPUTTERING NOISE WAS NOTED THEN SILENT WITH A WIND NOISE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN MANEUVERED IN A RIGHT TURN HEADING SOUTHERLY OVER THE PROPERTY OWNERS HOME AND THE RIGHT WING GRAZED TREE LIMBS OVER THE HOME THEN DESCENDED IN A STEEP ANGLE INTO A DITCH, COMPRESSED AND SLID THROUGH A BARB WIRE FENCE AND PROCEEDED 39 FEET AND CONTACTED ANOTHER FENCE AND SPUN AROUND ABRUPTLY AND THE TAIL BROKE OFF IN THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION. ACCORDING TO THE WITNESSES, THEY ARRIVED AT THE AIRCRAFT TO FIND THE PASSENGER HANGING OUT OF THE REAR PART OF THE LEFT ENTRANCE DOOR WRAPPED IN BARB WIRE AND BLEEDING PROFUSELY. THE FEMALE PASS. WAS LYING FACE UP ON THE GROUND WITH HER FEET UP UNDER THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, MOANING AND BREATHING HEAVILY. A THIRD WITNESS (^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^) CUT THE BARB WIRE AND EXTRICATED THE PASSENGER. DURING THIS THE FEMALE GASPED FOR AIR AND PERISHED. THE PILOT IN THE RIGHT SEAT CEASED MOANING AND ALSO PERISHED. THE WITNESSES AT THE SCENE CONFIRMED THAT THEY DID NOT TOUCH THE SAFETY RESTRAINTS FOR EITHER PILOT. AT 0230 THE CORONER EXTRICATED THE TWO DECEASED INDIVIDUALS AND A TOXICOLOGY BOX WAS GIVEN TO THE CORONER FOR EACH PILOT. I WAS ABLE TO LOCATE THE PILOT LICENSES, AND IDENTIFICATIONS FOR BOTH FRONT PILOTS AND THE PASSENGER WHO IS ALSO A PILOT. THE DOCUMENTS WERE COPIED AND GIVEN TO THE NTSB REPRESENTATIVE AS REQUESTED.THE REGISTRATION AND AIRWORTHINESS DOCUMENTS WERE NOT ON OR NEAR THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT OWNER'S MANUAL WAS NOT LOCATED AND SEVERAL EXPIRED NAVIGATIONAL DOCUMENTS WERE ON THE AIRCRAFT. A COPY OF THE FLIGHT PLAN WAS FOUND AND COPIED FOR DOCUMENTATION. I CONTINUED TO SURVEY THE SCENE AND NOTED THE INITIAL TREE CONTACT, DITCH IMPACT AND SCARING OF THE GROUND CONFIRMING THE WITNESS OBSERVATIONS. AT 0430 I LEFT THE SCENE AND PROCEEDED TO THE HOTEL IN DALTON, GA. I RETURNED TO THE SCENE AT 0800 AND CONTINUED TO PHOTOGRAPH AND DIAGRAM THE SCENE IN THE PRESENCE OF LAW EN ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ERA10FA502](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA10FA502), Sep 25, 2010: Cessna 172 (N84249), Chatsworth, GA, substantial damage, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate flight planning and in-flight fuel management resulting in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the operator's failure to… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.