Rockwell 690B accident near Homerville, Georgia, March 27, 2003
On March 27, 2003 at about 6:13 am local time, a Rockwell 690B, registered N53LG, was destroyed in an accident near Homerville, Georgia. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An in-flight encounter with unforecasted severe turbulence in cruise flight resulting in the design limits of the airplane being exceeded due to an overload failure of the airframe, and collision with a swampy area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 2003 · about 6:13 am local time
- Place
- Homerville, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell 690B
- Registration
- N53LG · registry record · serial 11523
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight was in cruise flight at 27,000 feet when the airplane encountered unforecasted severe turbulence. The pilot made a "mayday" on the airplane radio to Jacksonville Center. Within several seconds the airplane accelerated from 175 knots through 300 knots groundspeed and descended from 27,000 feet to 16,500 feet. The airplane disappeared from radar coverage and was located by Sheriff Department personnel 15 miles north of Homerville, Georgia, in a swampy area. Airframe components recovered from the accident site were submitted to the NTSB Materials laboratory for examination. The examinations revealed all failures were due to overload. Examination of the airframe revealed that the airframe design limits were exceeded. The pilot did not obtain a weather briefing before the flight departed.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,581 hours in all; 47 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 3,571 as pilot in command; 1,304 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 19, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
Other crew
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all
- Last flight review: October 3, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,317 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 4, 2002; 149 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,375 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Airesearch TPE331-10T (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MRC Mount Pleasant TN at 5:00 am
- Destination: TIX Titusville FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 010° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; scat at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 am from VAD, 15 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.
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.