- Date
- October 17, 1992, 14:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Cedar Springs, GA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2479MPiper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921017042409A
- Case key
- 8673
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 private pilot's failure to maintain airspeed above stalling speed, and his failure to maintain a proper altitude, which resulted in an inadvertent, low altitude stall. A factor was the gusty wind condition at the time of the accident.
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 private pilot and a student pilot passenger were on a local aerial photography flight. Although there were no eyewitnesses to the crash, several local residents observed the aircraft maneuvering immediately prior to the accident. They reported that the aircraft was flying at a high angle of attack, at slow speed, and at low altitude (80 to 100 feet AGL). The wreckage was found in a flat, open cow pasture. Impact damage to the aircraft was indicative of steep, nose low impact with the ground (stall). Witnesses also reported that the winds were gusty at the time, with speeds up to 20 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2479M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-1556
- Airframe hours
- 5,330
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Harrells Aviation Service, Inc
- Registered owner
- Harrells Aviation Service, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 23, 1992 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- BGE · Bainbridge, GA
- Destination
- BGE
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Expired
- Seat
- Rear
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,800 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DHN, 28 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.