Boeing A75N1 accident near Brooks, Georgia, April 22, 1989
On April 22, 1989 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Boeing A75N1, registered N52652, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brooks, Georgia (Brook Bridge airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
CLIMB NOT POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF A DOWNDRAFT WHICH EXCEEDED THE PERFORMANCE CAPABILITIES OF THE AIRPLANE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: INADEQUATE LOCATION OF THE WIND SOCK, THE ADVERSE WIND CONDITIONS, AND THE TREES.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 1989 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Brooks, Georgia · Brook Bridge · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing A75N1 · all A75N1s on the register
- Registration
- N52652 · registry record · serial 75-4328
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE 2970' RWY (ELEVATION 820') WAS MOSTLY SURROUNDED BY TREES. WITH A TEMP OF ABOUT 81 DEG, THE ESTIMATED DENSITY ALT WAS 2700'. AS THE PLT & PSGR WERE TAXIING TO RWY 2 TO TAKE OFF, THE WIND SOCK, WHICH WAS LOCATED BELOW THE TREE TOPS, WAS NOTED TO BE LIMP. THE PLT RPRTD THAT DURING TAKEOFF, LIFT-OFF WAS AT 65 MPH AFTER AN APRX 600' ROLL & A CLIMB WAS ESTABD AT 75 TO 80 MPH. HOWEVER, AS THE ACFT CLIMBED ABV THE TREES, A LEFT DRIFT WAS ENCTRD & THE ACFT STOPPED CLIMBING,ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO APPARENT ENG PROBLEM. BY THIS TIME, THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT RWY REMAINING TO ABORT & THE ACFT WAS APCHG TREES NEAR THE END OF THE RWY. THE PLT TRADED AIRSPEED FOR ALT TO CLEAR THE TREES & THEN THE ACFT BEGAN TO MUSH. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT SETTLED INTO SMALLER TREES & CAME TO REST WITH SUBSTANTIAL DMG. THE PLT BELIEVED THE ACFT ENCTRD A QUARTERING TAILWIND & A DOWNDRAFT AS IT WAS CLIMBING ABV THE TREES DURING TAKEOFF & SUBSEQUENTLY GOT BEHIND THE POWER CURVE.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,087 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 7,592 as pilot in command; 10,146 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,526 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 24, 1989; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental R-670-11 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 2, 2,970 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:52 pm from ATL, 20 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N52652 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.