Piper PA-24-250 accident near Macon, Georgia, March 29, 1982
On March 29, 1982 at about 5:25 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N9LT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Macon, Georgia (Lewis B. Wilson 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 29, 1982 · about 5:25 pm local time
- Place
- Macon, Georgia · Lewis B. Wilson · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N9LT · registry record · serial 24 3203
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT REPORTED DEPARTING FT LAUDERDALE, FL WITH 4 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD ON A 40 MINUTE FLIGHT TO OKEECHOBEE, FL. THE NEXT DAY, HE DEPARTED OKEECHOBEE WITHOUT REFUELING ON A FLIGHT TO MACON, GA. HE REPORTED THAT HE HAD TO CLIMB TO 10,500 FT TO AVOID CLOUDS AND MAINTAIN VFR. WHILE EN ROUTE, HE FOUND HIMSELF OVER A CLOUD LAYER. WITH 40 HOURS OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE, HE ELECTED TO DESCEND AND LAND AT MACON. THE PILOT WAS VECTORED AND CLEARED FOR AN ILS APPROACH. APPROACH CONTROL NOTED THAT THE PILOT DID NOT DESCEND BELOW 1600 FT AS HE APPROACHED AND OVERFLEW THE AIRPORT. THE AIRPORT ELEVATION WAS 354 FT. HE INITIATED A MISSED APPROACH, AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER, REPORTED THAT HE HAD RUN OUT OF FUEL. HE WAS VECTORED BACK TOWARD THE AIRPORT, BUT WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE RUNWAY. ABOUT THREE HOURS AND 5 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF THE PLANE STRUCK WIRES AS THE PILOT WAS LANDING IN A WHEAT FIELD. AFTER HITTING THE WIRES, HE WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL UNTIL AFTER TOUCHDOWN.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 435 hours in all; 344 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 297 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,056 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 165 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1D5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OBE Okeechobee FL at 9:20 am
- Destination: L69 Death Valley CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 900 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 117°F (47°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:29 pm from MCN
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.
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 ATL82DA088.