Amateur-built SWEARINGEN SX 300 accident near Thomson, Georgia, March 14, 1998
On March 14, 1998, a amateur-built SWEARINGEN SX 300, registered N83JH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Thomson, Georgia (Thomson Mcduffie Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning of the fuel supply required for the flight that resulted in fuel exhaustion and the loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 14, 1998
- Place
- Thomson, Georgia · Thomson Mcduffie Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SWEARINGEN SX 300 SWEARINGEN
- Registration
- N83JH · registry record · serial 83
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A 911 caller reported that he heard and saw an airplane fly overhead about 500 feet above the ground on a westerly heading. He stated that the engine was running rough and 'cutting out'. The engine then went silent as the airplane descended below the tree tops. The 911 operator told the caller that she would telephone the local airport, and inquire about the reported airplane. When the 911 operator telephoned the airport, there was no answer. There was no further action by the 911 service until the family of the pilot inquired about the location of the airplane several hours later. The airplane was located two miles east of the airport two days later. The pilot was fatally injured. The cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma, complicated by hypothermia. According to the pilot's logbook, the airplane had flown 4.6 hours from the time it was last refueled to the time of the crash. The airplane holds 66 gallons of fuel. The fuel consumption ranges between between 12 and 16 gallons per hour. The airplane's fuel endurance ranges between 4.125 and 5.5 hours. The pilot had 11 hours of total time in this airplane.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,367 hours in all; 11 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 1,301 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 643 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 10, 1997; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-L1C5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9A1 Covington GA at 11:30 pm
- Destination: AIK Aiken SC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 5,004 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from AGS, 25 miles away
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.