Piper PA-23-250 accident near Reidsville, Georgia, February 28, 1985
On February 28, 1985 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N4565P, was destroyed in an accident near Reidsville, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
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
- February 28, 1985 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Reidsville, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N4565P · no longer on the register · serial 27-72
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS FOUND BURNING IN THE WOODS BY THE FORESTY SERVICE. NO PERSONS OR BAGGAGE WERE FOUND. THE DATE, TIME & CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT IS UNKNOWN. SUSPECTED DRUG RELATED ACTIVITY. ACCORDING TO FAA RECORDS, THE ACFT WAS NOT OFFICIALLY REGISTERED. IT HAD BEEN RECENTLY SOLD BUT THE NEW OWNERS WERE NOT NAMED AND NO RECORD OF REGISTRATION WAS FOUND.
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
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Unknown
- Destination: Unknown
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- 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.
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.