Piper PA28-151 accident near Eastman, Georgia, March 19, 2005
On March 19, 2005 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Piper PA28-151, registered N32033, was substantially damaged in an accident near Eastman, Georgia. It was an instructional 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
The certified flight instructors failure to maintain a visual look out while demonstrating a simulated emergency landing resulting in an in-flight collision with a known transmission wire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 19, 2005 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Eastman, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28-151 · all PA28-151s on the register
- Registration
- N32033 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7515051
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor was demonstrating a simulated emergency landing in a local training area with known transmission power lines. The flight instructor initiated a climb to recover from the simulated emergency landing and the airplane collided with the transmission wire. The flight instructor stated, "I simply failed to maintain a visual look out resulting in the collision with the wires."
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,272 hours in all; 246 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 3,182 as pilot in command; 993 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 24, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,384.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 10, 2004; 23.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming )-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EZM Eastman GA at 3:30 pm
- Destination: EZM
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from MCN, 45 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.