Cessna 172M accident near Thomasville, Georgia, June 7, 1982
On June 7, 1982 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N13687, was destroyed in an accident near Thomasville, Georgia. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 7, 1982 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Thomasville, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N13687 · no longer on the register · serial 17262944
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED ON A BUSINESS FLIGHT FOR THE PURPOSE OF SURVEYING FARM CROPS IN THE AREA. AT ABOUT 1700 EDT, IT CRASHED INTO A 20 ACRE FARM LAKE WHILE ON A WESTERLY HEADING. THE WEATHER WAS REPORTED AS CLEAR, VISIBILITY 6 TO 7 MILES WITH HAZE, TEMPERATURE 90 DEGREES, AND THE WIND WAS CALM. REPORTEDLY, THE LAKE HAD A GLASSY SURFACE. THERE WERE 3 WITNESSES THAT WERE FISHING FROM A BOAT NEAR THE CENTER OF THE LAKE. THEY REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT PASSED ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE LAKE ON AN EASTERLY HEADING, CIRCLED AND DESCENDED NEAR THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE LAKE, THEN CAME OUT OF THE TURN AND HEADED TOWARD THEIR BOAT. WITNESSES ESTIMATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT FLEW 10 TO 30 FEET OVER THE BOAT, THEN STRUCK THE WATER WITH NO CHANGE IN ENGINE SOUND. DIVERS FOUND NO BODIES IN THE COCKPIT, THE SEAT BELT AND SHOULDER HARNESS WERE FOUND HANGING LOOSE WITH NO DAMAGE AND NO EVIDENCE OF BEING LATCHED DURING IMPACT. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE AND AIRCRAFT REVEALED NO PREIMPACT FAILURES.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all; 113 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 546 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 64 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E20 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Maxwell Ford Tractor CO.
The flight
- Departed from: Valdosta GA at 2:00 pm
- Destination: Valdosta GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 194°F (90°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.