Piper PA28 accident near Blairsville, GA
On December 20, 2018, a Piper PA28 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Blairsville, GA. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- December 20, 2018
- Place
- Blairsville, GA
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 34.852°N, 84.016°W
- NTSB ID
- 20181219X11357
Official records · ERA19FA070
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On December 19, 2018, at 1936 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-181 airplane, N6143J, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident in Blairsville, Georgia. The private pilot and two passengers were fatally injured, and another passenger was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the passenger, who was seated in the front right seat, the takeoff from Blairsville Airport (DZJ) was normal, and they flew around the local area to look at Christmas lights before returning to the airport. As they got closer to the airport, the passenger could see the lighted runway in front of them. During the approach, the pilot described to the passenger that he needed to hit "markers" on the GPS he was using for navigation as the airplane approached the runway. She said that the pilot was relaxed and didn't seem to have any concerns about the flight. The airplane's engine was running fine and there were no unusual noises in the cockpit. Everything appeared normal. The next thing the passenger remembered was seeing rescue personnel. A witness stated that she was on her front porch when she saw the lights of the airplane approaching the airport. The airplane's engine was running smoothly, but it sounded as if the airplane was "just too low." The witness heard the airplane impact trees and then the ground. The pilot's handheld Garmin GPSmap 496 was located in the wreckage. The GPS began recording at 1847 when the airplane was taxiing to runway 8 for takeoff. The airplane depa
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees during a visual approach for landing in night visual meteorological conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of recent experience flying at night.
More accidents in GA
- Embraer EMB-120RT, Apr 5, 1991
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- Mitsubishi MU-2B-30, Apr 20, 1982
Browse: Georgia · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
