- Date
- November 21, 1988, 20:30 local (Nov 22, 1988, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Thomaston, GA
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5473BCessna 182
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report January 8, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881121052689A
- Case key
- 7961
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 pilot and three passengers were on a night flight in an aircraft that was equipped to carry skydivers. During the approach to land, the landing light failed. While attempting to get the light to operate, the pilot allowed an undershoot to develop. Subsequently, the aircraft landed short of the runway and the nose gear failed when the nose- wheel struck the runway lip. The aircraft then slid approximately 300 feet and nosed over. Mirl & threshold lights were installed, but there were no VASI lights.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5473B
- Reported as
- Cessna 182
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 33473
- Airframe hours
- 4,247
- Engine
- Continental O-470-L, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Paul J. Mattei
- Registered owner
- Paul J Mattei Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 3, 1988
- Airport
- RGD · Reginald Grant Memorial, runway 3, 3,049 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 898 total · 217 in this make and model · 864 as pilot in command · 86 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 10° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 21,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MCN, 40 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.