Piper PA-31-350 accident near Baconton, Georgia, April 5, 1982
On April 5, 1982 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N123CB, was destroyed in an accident near Baconton, Georgia. It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- April 5, 1982 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Baconton, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N123CB · registry record · serial 31-7752161
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AS THE PILOT WAS DESCENDING FROM 7000 TO 5000 FT, HE HEARD A LOUD BANG, FOLLOWED BY A TEMPORARY VIBRATION AND A VIOLENT SWERVE TO THE RIGHT. HE LOOKED OUT THE RIGHT WINDOW AND THOUGHT THE RIGHT ENGINE HAD FALLEN OFF SINCE ALL HE COULD SEE WAS THE TOPS OF THE ENGINE MOUNTS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONTROLLABLE ONLY AFTER REDUCING THE LEFT ENGINE POWER TO IDLE. DURING A WHEELS UP/FORCED LANDING, THE PLANE TORE THROUGH A FENCE, SLID ACROSS A PAVED ROAD, WENT OVER AN EMBANKMENT AND BEGAN BURNING AFTER IT CAME TO REST. THE PILOT RECEIVED A BACK INJURY AND HAD DIFFICULTY EGRESSING. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE PROPELLER HUB HAD FAILED FROM FATIGUE WHICH RESULTED IN BLADE SEPARATION AND SUBSEQUENT ENGINE TEARAWAY. THE ENGINE HAD REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE AIRFRAME BY CABLES. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE HUB REVEALED THAT THE FATIGUE ORIGINATED AT A THREADED GREASE FITTING. GOUGING WAS VISIBLE ON THE INNER WALL. A SET OF INCORRECT COUNTERWEIGHTS WERE FOUND ON THE PROPELLER. THE COUNTERWEIGHT'S FUNCTION WAS TO REDUCE VIBRATION.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,344 hours in all; 113 in this make and model; 146 in the last 90 days; 5,177 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,611 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 44 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming 540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Aircraft Service Center
The flight
- Departed from: Austin TX at 1:01 pm
- Destination: Tifton GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 600 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 131°F (55°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from ABY, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.
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 ATL82FA092.