- Date
- March 15, 1990, 11:10 local (16:10 UTC)
- Place
- Ocilla, GA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N733BVCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 21, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900315004279A
- Case key
- 8215
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The aircraft's encounter with low level windshear resulting in an uncontrollable descent.
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 commercial pilot stated that he was on an aerial observation flight at 500 feet above ground level when the aircraft began an uncontrollable descent that he thought was due to windshear. Subsequent inspection of the aircraft showed no pre-accident mechanical malfunction. Investigation revealed that meteorological conditions at the time were conducive for the formation of low level windshear.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N733BV
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17268176
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Deland Aviation
- Departed
- FZG · Fitzgerald, GA
- Destination
- DED · Deland, FL
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
- 65
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 14,452 total · 14,200 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,400 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AMG, 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.