- Date
- June 26, 1987, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Jesup, GA
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N15978Piper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 17, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870626027279A
- Case key
- 7305
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
Witnesses rprtd the acft 'buzzed' (flew low) over a factory, where the plt used to work, then it went over the altamaha river, flew under a bridge & continued up the river at low alt. About 2 to 3 mi upstream, the acft was maneuvering when it struck trees & crashed in the river. No preimpact part failure or malfunction was fnd. Toxicology tests showed that the plt & 2 of the pax's had alcohol in their blood. A check of the 3rd pax's blood was inconclusive. The plt's blood tested 0.13% (0.13 gm%) for alcohol. His med cert was dated 8/29/83. His log book was not fnd, but other records indcd he had aprx 400 hrs total time with 250 hrs in PA-28 acft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N15978
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 287305205
- Airframe hours
- 1,203
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- R. W. Mc Duffie
- Registered owner
- Richard Wade Mcduffie
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 19, 1986 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- JES · Jesup, GA
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 400 total · 250 in this make and model · 350 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AMG, 32 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.