# Accident 20181219022109A: Piper PA-28-181, Blairsville, GA, December 19, 2018

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 19, 2018, 19:36 local time
- Place: Blairsville, GA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.8525° N, 84.0156° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.8525&lon=-84.0156&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6143J, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6143J-2020-04-03) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-181 (registry code 7102807, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-181
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 3
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 822 total, 822 in this make and model, 13 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA19FA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA19FA070) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20181219022109A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON DECEMBER 19, 2018 AT 1936 EST WHILE CONDUCTING A PART 91 NIGHT FLIGHT, AIRCRAFT N6143J, A PIPER 28-181 ARCHER CARRYING FOUR PEOPLE, WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WITH THE CRASH SITE FOUND APPROXIMATELY HALF A MILE WEST OF THE BLAIRSVILLE AIRPORT?S (DZJ) RUNWAY 8 AT COORDINATES 34° 51? 01? N, 84° 00? 47? W. THE ACCIDENT RESULTED IN THE PILOT AND TWO BACK SEAT PASSENGERS RECEIVING FATAL INJURIES AND THE FRONT RIGHT PASSENGER SURVIVING WITH SERIOUS INJURIES. WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE TIME WERE VFR WITH VISIBILITY OF 10 MILES AND CALM WINDS. WITNESSES STATED THAT THEY COULD SEE THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHING THE AIRPORT DUE TO THE AIRCRAFT LIGHTS BUT SOON AFTER SAW THE LIGHTS DISAPPEAR AND COULD HEAR TREES SPLITTING. ON DECEMBER 20, 2018 THE AIRPLANE, CRASH SITE AND DEBRIS FIELD WAS DOCUMENTED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRANSPORTED TO GRIFFIN, GEORGIA FOR AN ENGINE TEAR DOWN AND FURTHER AIRPLANE ANALYSIS. AT THE SCENE, A REMOVABLE GARMIN GPS MAP 496 WAS FOUND CONNECTED TO THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND WAS TURNED OVER TO THE NTSB IIC FOR DATA COLLECTION.

## 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 ERA19FA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA19FA070), Dec 20, 2018: Piper PA28 (N6143J), Blairsville, GA, substantial damage, 3 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees during a visual approach for landing in night visual meteorological conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of recent…

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.

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