- Date
- February 20, 1986, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Statesboro, GA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8288WPiper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860220004839A
- Case key
- 6993
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The acft collided with the ground after encountering a downdraft over a wooded area at about 500 ft AGL. The plt reported that he flew out to overlook some land from the air. To avoid air traffic in the landing pattern he dropped down to about 550 ft and made 2 circles around the land after which he was turning to enter downwind for landing when he overflew a wooded area. After some turbulence the acft started sinking. The plt added power and pulled back on the yoke. The acft stalled and collided with the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8288W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-2450
- Airframe hours
- 2,528
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William Thurman Fail
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 26, 1985 · 10 hours before
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 235 total · 27 in this make and model · 200 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SAV, 30 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.