Cessna 551 accident near Cordele, Georgia, December 22, 1999
On December 22, 1999 at about 2:30 am local time, a Cessna 551, registered N1218S, was destroyed in an accident near Cordele, Georgia (Crisp County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to follow the published missed approach procedures, and to maintain proper altitude. Factors contributing to the severity of the accident were the low ceilings and trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 22, 1999 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Cordele, Georgia · Crisp County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 551 · all 551s on the register
- Registration
- N1218S · registry record · serial 551-0428
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Cessna 551, collided with trees and subsequently the ground following a missed approach to runway 10, at the Crisp County Airport in Cordele, Georgia. According to the Jacksonville Air Traffic Control Center, the pilot was given radar vectors to the outer marker and cleared him for the non-precision localizer approach to runway 10. Recorded radar data showed the airplane initiating the approach at 1900 feet mean sea level (MSL) as published. The airplane descended to 600 feet MSL as published and over-flew the airport. The controller stated that he was waiting for the missed approach call, as he observed the airplane climb to 700 feet MSL. The airplane then descended back to 600 feet MSL and disappeared from radar. The controller never received a missed approach call. A witness near the airport stated that he heard the airplane fly over but did not see it due to haze and fog.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,229 hours in all; 1,108 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,741 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 14, 1999; 91 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 17,150 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT15 (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: DAL Dallas TX
- Destination: CKF Cordele GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 10, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 020° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 2:47 am from ABY, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL00FA017.