- Date
- February 12, 1995, 20:20 local (Feb 13, 1995, 01:20 UTC)
- Place
- Wrightsville, GA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N79157Cessna 172K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report May 18, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950212001559A
- Case key
- 37731
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-in-command's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering in a turn. The low altitude at the time of the stall was a factor.
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 stated he stalled the airplane while in a slow, left turn, at a low altitude. The airplane then entered a nose low attitude, collided with a tree, and hit the ground.
Factual narrative
On February 12, 1995, about 2020 eastern standard time, N79157, a Cessna 172-K, registered to Kopfman Farms Inc., crashed in Wrightsville, Georgia, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight. The airplane was substantially damaged, the private-rated pilot was seriously injured, and the passenger received minor injuries. The origin of the flight was a small airstrip near the accident scene about 10 minutes earlier.
The pilot stated, while in a slow left turn, his airplane stalled at a low altitude. After the stall the airplane's left wing collided with a tree turning the airplane 180 degrees. The airplane then hit the ground in a nose-low attitude with 20 degrees of flaps extended.
Witnesses stated they observed the airplane stall at a low altitude, clip trees, and crash in a field.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N79157
- Reported as
- Cessna 172K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17257923
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- George Conley
- Registered owner
- Kopfman Farms Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 19, 1995
- Departed
- UNK · GA
- Destination
- UNK · GA
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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 720 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 330° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 14 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MCN
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.