Cessna 172N accident near Thomson, Georgia, October 3, 1987
On October 3, 1987 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N5266E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Thomson, Georgia (Thomson Mcduffie County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were 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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 1987 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Thomson, Georgia · Thomson Mcduffie County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N5266E · registry record · serial 17271805
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE LDG ROLL ON RWY 28, A CROSSWIND GUST CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO BECOME AIRBORNE AGAIN. THE PLT ADDED FULL PWR AND ATTEMPTED TO ABORT THE LDG. THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY DRIFTED TO THE DOWNWIND SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND IMPACTED RISING TERRAIN. THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE WAS AWARE OF THE GUSTY CROSSWIND CONDITIONS AT THE ARPT PRIOR TO THE LDG. HE ESTIMATED THAT THE WINDS AT THE TIME WERE FROM 340 DEG AT 15-20 KTS, WITH UNKNOWN VELOCITY GUSTS. A WX REPORTING STATION 30 NM AWAY REPORTED WINDS FROM 360 DEG AT 18KTS, WITH GUSTS OF 25 KTS. THE CESSNA 172M POH STATES THAT THE MAX ALLOWABLE X-WIND VELOCITY DEPENDS UPON PLT CAPABILITY AS WELL AS ACFT LIMITATIONS. THE POH NOTES THAT DIRECT X-WINDS OF 15 KTS CAN BE HANDLED SAFELY W/AVG PLT TECHNIQUE.
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; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 800 hours in all; 387 in this make and model; 109 in the last 90 days; 728 as pilot in command; 171 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,006 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 24, 1987; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Silver Wings Enterprises,Inc.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 18 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:49 pm from AGS, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.