Piper PA-38-112 accident near Kennesaw, Georgia, March 31, 1993
On March 31, 1993 at about 1:23 am local time, a Piper PA-38-112, registered N4218E, was destroyed in an accident near Kennesaw, Georgia (Mccollum Field). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) TO ASSURE THAT A PROPER RATE OF CLIMB WAS ESTABLISHED AFTER TAKEOFF TO MAINTAIN PROPER CLEARANCE ABOVE THE TERRAIN/OBSTACLES. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS AND THE EXCESSIVE WEIGHT CONDITION OF THE AIRPLANE AT TAKEOFF.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 31, 1993 · about 1:23 am local time
- Place
- Kennesaw, Georgia · Mccollum Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N4218E · no longer on the register · serial 38-78A0493
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A STUDENT PILOT & CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) WERE ON A NIGHT TRAINING FLIGHT, PRACTICING TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS. ACCORDING TO TWO WITNESSES AT THE AIRPORT, THE FLIGHT TOUCHED DOWN NORMALLY & BEGAN TO TAKEOFF AGAIN. THEY REPORTED THE INITIAL CLIMB APPEARED NORMAL UNTIL THE AIRPLANE LEVELED OFF ABOUT 150 TO 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THEY CONTINUED TO WATCH THE AIRPLANE UNTIL IT COLLIDED WITH TREES & A UTILITY POLE ABOUT ONE MILE FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 27. THE AIRPLANE THEN FELL INTO THE FRONT YARD OF A SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING. REPORTEDLY, THE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL UNTIL THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE FAILED TO DISCLOSE A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR COMPONENT FAILURE. A REVIEW OF WEIGHT & BALANCE INFORMATION DISCLOSED THE AIRPLANE WAS LOADED ABOUT 100 POUNDS OVER ITS MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT LIMIT, WHEN IT TOOK OFF ABOUT 23 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE CFI HAD A TOTAL FLIGHT TIME OF ABOUT 375 HOURS.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 375 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,580 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 5, 1992; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Tomahawk Flyers INC.,
The flight
- Departed from: RYY at 1:00 am
- Destination: RYY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,110 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 am from MGE, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 N4218E 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.