Piper J-2 accident near Williamson, Georgia, December 13, 2006
On December 13, 2006 at about 8:41 pm local time, a Piper J-2, registered N16651, was substantially damaged in an accident near Williamson, Georgia (Peach State Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection which resulted in fuel exhaustion a subsequent total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 13, 2006 · about 8:41 pm local time
- Place
- Williamson, Georgia · Peach State Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J-2 · all J-2s on the register
- Registration
- N16651 · registry record · serial 666
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated he had flown the airplane earlier in the morning and two other personnel flew the airplane after him. The pilot decided to fly the airplane again, and he drained the fuel sump and checked the oil and fuel. The pilot entered the airplane, started it, and taxied out to runway 13 for takeoff. While on climb out at 300 feet AGL, the pilot made a left cross wind turn and the engine quit. The pilot lowered the nose of the airplane, made a left turn, pulled the carburetor heat out, and pushed it back in before he started a right descending turn to line up with runway 13.The airplane was low and collided with the ground in a right descending attitude. Examination of the crash site revealed no browning of vegetation and no smell of fuel. The fuel tank was not ruptured and no fuel was present in the fuel tank. The fuel lines were intact. The fuel line from the carburetor to the gascolator were removed and no fuel was present in the fuel line or the gascolator. The airplane was released for recovery and transported to a storage facility for an engine run. The engine was removed from the airframe and placed in a test stand. The carburetor was removed and a new carburetor was installed. An alternate fuel and, battery source, electric fuel pump, engine controls and magneto grounding wires were installed. The engine was started and ran at idle power. The propeller was damaged and prevented the engine from being advanced to the full power setting. The engine was shut down with the mixture control.
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
- Flight time: 1,650 hours in all; 15 in this make and model
- Last flight review: November 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 915 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2006; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-40 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GA2 Williamson GA at 8:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 2,815 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 pm from KATL, 27 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.
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.