Piper PA-28-161 accident near Lawrenceville, Georgia, November 25, 1997
On November 25, 1997 at about 4:55 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N39995, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lawrenceville, Georgia (Gwinnett County-Briscoe airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the student pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane, during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 25, 1997 · about 4:55 pm local time
- Place
- Lawrenceville, Georgia · Gwinnett County-Briscoe
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N39995 · registry record · serial 28-791-6016
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After completing two touch-and-go landings, the student intended to make the last landing a full stop landing. After touchdown on the third landing, the student believed the airplane was 'tipping' to the right. In an attempt to correct for this right 'tipping', the student applied left rudder. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway and collided with an embankment. According to an air traffic controller on the field, the airplane touched down and began to veer steadily to the left, approximately 30 to 45 degrees from runway heading. The airplane went off the runway approximately 1,500 to 2,000 feet from the approach end of the runway.
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: student
- Flight time: 21 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,709 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 15, 1997; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: The Flight School, INC
The flight
- Departed from: LZU at 3:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 6,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:57 pm from LZU, 1 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.