- Date
- November 20, 1992, 14:50 local (19:50 UTC)
- Place
- Blairsville, GA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7684JPiper PA-28R-180
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921120047629A
- Case key
- 8677
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 pilot's decision to continue the flight into adverse weather conditions which resulted in the inflight collision with high terrain. Factors were high wind and rain.
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 received three weather briefings at various points throughout the preflight, flight and prior to the final departure from andrews, north carolina. Each briefing noted instrument weather conditions along the pilot's route of flight. Additionally, the pilot requested and was given a radar assist into andrews murphy airport, from atlanta center, about an hour before the accident. After refueling with 16 gallons of aviation fuel, the pilot departed andrews murphy airport and climbed to about 6600 feet. Atlanta center radar recorded an airborne target circling in the vicinity of the accident site at 6600 feet. Hikers on the appalachian trails recalled hearing an airplane in the vicinity of the accident site at the approximate time of the accident. They also reported that forward visibility was reduced to about 50 yards with moderate rain. A forest ranger reported that winds were gusting to about 45 mph. No mechanical problems were discovered during the wreckage examination.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7684J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-31085
- Airframe hours
- 2,896
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-B1E, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Keller, Michael T.
- Registered owner
- Keller, Michael T.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 23, 1992
- Departed
- 6A3 · Andrews, NC
- Destination
- OCF · Ocala, 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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 475 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 16 knots, gusting 45
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 900 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ATL, 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.
Other investigations on N7684J · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.