What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 16, 2024, at approximately 1215 eastern standard time, privacy data omitted, a Cessna 182P, was involved in an accident with four people on board at coordinates 34°37’37” north and 84°31’33” west, while conducting a part 91 flight when attempting to land at the Gilmer County Airport (49A). As a result of the accident, the pilot and two passengers received minor injuries and the airplane was destroyed due to a post-crash fire. The weather at the time of the accident were visual meteorological conditions (VMC) with a visibility of 10 statute miles and 12 knot winds with gusts of 19 knots from the northeast.
According to a statement from the pilot, privacy data omitted departed from thomas c russell field airport (alx) at approximately 0945 central standard time with a planned arrival time of 1155 eastern standard time at the Gilmer County Airport (49A). During the flight, the local weather at the arrival airport was checked and a plan to land on runway 03 was made. As privacy data omitted descended prior to the runway numbers the aircraft’s nose could be felt dropping due to a decreased headwind. The pilot was not confident that the ground effect would stop the decent through the flare and decided to go around because the approach landing felt unstable. The pilot announced, “going around”, applied full power, and reduced flaps to second notch. At the same time a perpendicular cross wind from the west pushed the aircraft to the right towards a line of trees than run the length of the runway. Due to the aircraft’s slow airspeed, no effective yoke or rudder inputs were effective in making side to side corrections so the pilot decided he had to try to clear the trees. privacy data omitted Was able to elevate over the trees but the right wing began to stall. The pilot attempted to keep the aircraft upright to land in a cleared field east of the runway but as a result, the aircraft crashed into the field with a slight nose down angle. Due to the crash, a fire began in the forward engine section. All persons on board were able to exit the aircraft before the fire spread to the cabin and wings, destroying the aircraft. The pilot stated that prior to the flight, the aircraft’s fuel tanks had been filled up and estimated that approximately 55 gallons of fuel was onboard at the time of the crash.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 16, 2024, AT APPROXIMATELY 1215 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A CESSNA 182P, WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WITH FOUR PEOPLE ON BOARD AT COORDINATES 34°37’37” NORTH AND 84°31’33” WEST, WHILE CONDUCTING A PART 91 FLIGHT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT THE GILMER COUNTY AIRPORT (49A). AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES AND THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED DUE TO A POST-CRASH FIRE. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) WITH A VISIBILITY OF 10 STATUTE MILES AND 12 KNOT WINDS WITH GUSTS OF 19 KNOTS FROM THE NORTHEAST.
ACCORDING TO A STATEMENT FROM THE PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED FROM THOMAS C RUSSELL FIELD AIRPORT (ALX) AT APPROXIMATELY 0945 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME WITH A PLANNED ARRIVAL TIME OF 1155 EASTERN STANDARD TIME AT THE GILMER COUNTY AIRPORT (49A). DURING THE FLIGHT, THE LOCAL WEATHER AT THE ARRIVAL AIRPORT WAS CHECKED AND A PLAN TO LAND ON RUNWAY 03 WAS MADE. AS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DESCENDED PRIOR TO THE RUNWAY NUMBERS THE AIRCRAFT’S NOSE COULD BE FELT DROPPING DUE TO A DECREASED HEADWIND. THE PILOT WAS NOT CONFIDENT THAT THE GROUND EFFECT WOULD STOP THE DECENT THROUGH THE FLARE AND DECIDED TO GO AROUND BECAUSE THE APPROACH LANDING FELT UNSTABLE. THE PILOT ANNOUNCED, “GOING AROUND”, APPLIED FULL POWER, AND REDUCED FLAPS TO SECOND NOTCH. AT THE SAME TIME A PERPENDICULAR CROSS WIND FROM THE WEST PUSHED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT TOWARDS A LINE OF TREES THAN RUN THE LENGTH OF THE RUNWAY. DUE TO THE AIRCRAFT’S SLOW AIRSPEED, NO EFFECTIVE YOKE OR RUDDER INPUTS WERE EFFECTIVE IN MAKING SIDE TO SIDE CORRECTIONS SO THE PILOT DECIDED HE HAD TO TRY TO CLEAR THE TREES. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS ABLE TO ELEVATE OVER THE TREES BUT THE RIGHT WING BEGAN TO STALL. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT UPRIGHT TO LAND IN A CLEARED FIELD EAST OF THE RUNWAY BUT AS A RESULT, THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO THE FIELD WITH A SLIGHT NOSE DOWN ANGLE. DUE TO THE CRASH, A FIRE BEGAN IN THE FORWARD ENGINE SECTION. ALL PERSONS ON BOARD WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE THE FIRE SPREAD TO THE CABIN AND WINGS, DESTROYING THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT STATED THAT PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT’S FUEL TANKS HAD BEEN FILLED UP AND ESTIMATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 55 GALLONS OF FUEL WAS ONBOARD AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.