Piper PA-25-235 accident near Pinehurst, Georgia, September 5, 1983
On September 5, 1983 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-25-235, registered N8715L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pinehurst, Georgia (Wrights airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 5, 1983 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pinehurst, Georgia · Wrights · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-25-235 · all PA-25-235s on the register
- Registration
- N8715L · registry record · serial 25-5168
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THAT ALL THREE SHOCK CORDS ON THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR BROKE DURING THE LANDING ROLL ALLOWING THE GEAR TO COLLAPSE. THE ACFT VEERED OFF THE RWY & CROSSED A DRAINAGE DITCH, AT WHICH TIME ALL THREE SHOCK CORDS ON THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR BROKE. ACCORDING TO THE PLT, THE CORDS WERE FOUND TO BE ROTTED. THEY HAD BEEN INSTALLED ON THE ACFT ABOUT 2 YEARS. THE PIPER PA-25-235 INSPECTION SHEET STATES THAT THE SHOCK CORDS SHOULD BE INSPECTED FOR WEAKNESS, FRAYING & WEAK ATTACHMENTS. IT DOES NOT STATE A SPECIFIC REPLACEMENT TIME FOR THE SHOCK CORDS.
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: 28,800 hours in all; 12,000 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 28,300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,764 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 11, 1983; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B2B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 2,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N8715L the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 ATL83LA360.