Piper PA-18A-150 accident near Thomaston, Georgia, June 3, 2002
On June 3, 2002 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18A-150, registered N8680D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Thomaston, Georgia (Thomaston-Upson County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the pilot-in-command to maintain directional control on landing, resulting in an inadvertent ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 3, 2002 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Thomaston, Georgia · Thomaston-Upson County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18A-150 · all PA-18A-150s on the register
- Registration
- N8680D · no longer on the register · serial 18-6284
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A Piper ground-looped during a landing at a private airport in Thomaston, Georgia. The airplane ground-looped, and the left wing struck the ground. The pilot continued the flight and returned to Griffin. During the post-flight examination of the airplane, the pilot discovered that the left wing assembly had sustained structural damage.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,510 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 1,365 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 20, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,278 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 2, 2001; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360/L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8GA6 Griffin GA at 8:30 pm
- Destination: KOPN Thomaston GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 5,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from ATL, 42 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N8680D the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.