- Date
- April 11, 1992, 20:50 local (Apr 12, 1992, 00:50 UTC)
- Place
- Young Harris, GA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7248JPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920412009659A
- Case key
- 8501
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 failure of the pilot to maintain clearance from terrain. Factors in the accident were the dark night, rain, and mountainous terrain.
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 stated that they observed the aircraft circling in the valleys of the mountainous terrain for about ten minuets prior to the accident. They said it was a very dark night and light rain was falling in the area. The visibility was reported by the witnesses to be good. The witnesses stated, that at the time they observed the aircraft, that they could hear the engine running. The aircraft impacted the terrain at the top of a ridge line. There were large grass fields located immediately adjacent to the ridge line, in the direction of impact.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7248J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-24590
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Partlow, Allen L.
- Registered owner
- Partlow, Allen L.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- I21 · Indianapolis, IN
- Destination
- OPF · Miami, 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
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 290 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CHA, 75 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.