Piper PA-38-112 accident near Lexington, Georgia, August 24, 1983
On August 24, 1983 at about 9:45 am local time, a Piper PA-38-112, registered N2490P, was destroyed in an accident near Lexington, Georgia. It was an aerial observation 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 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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 1983 · about 9:45 am local time · cases in 1983
- Place
- Lexington, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N2490P · registry record · serial 38-79A1005
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS ON A CABLE PATROL/AERIAL OBSERVATION MISSION. WHILE PATROLLING, HE MISSED A TURN IN THE CABLE ROUTE & TURN TO RELOCATE IT. AFTER RELOCATING THE ROUTE, HE LOOKED BACK TO OBSERVE A PORTION THAT HE HAD MISSED & SAW A LOGGING OPERATION. THE PLT TURNED AGAIN TO BETTER OBSERVE THE ACTIVITY, THEN STARTED TO REPORT ITS LOCATION BY USING A HAND HELD RADIO. HE THEN DIVERTED HIS ATTENTION TO A SHEET OF PAPER IN THE RIGHT SEAT TO OBTAIN THE PROPER FREQUENCY NUMBER. WHEN HE LOOKED UP, HE SAW A BIG TREE, JUST BEFORE IMPACT. THE LEFT WING OF THE ACFT HIT THE TREE, THEN THE ACFT CRASHED & BURNED. THE ACFT WAS A BACKUP PLANE & DID NOT HAVE PANEL MOUNTED AIR-TO-GROUND RADIOS FOR CABLE PATROL REPORTING.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,700 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 587 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Bearcreek Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: 4A7 Hampton GA at 1:00 pm
- Destination: EQY Monroe NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 pm from AHN, 18 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N2490P on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-38 Tomahawk 442 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,839 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2A 2 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Charlotte/Monroe Executive · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Georgia 2,138 since 1982 · 361 in the last ten years
- Georgia 8,800 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ATL83FA339.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.