Cessna 175 accident near Locust Grove, Georgia, November 25, 1998
On November 25, 1998 at about 8:25 pm local time, a Cessna 175, registered N565ML, was substantially damaged in an accident near Locust Grove, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Loss of engine power due to a gear train failure in the accessory gearbox for undetermined reasons. A factor was the rough and uneven terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 25, 1998 · about 8:25 pm local time
- Place
- Locust Grove, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N565ML · no longer on the register · serial 55420
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, while flying at cruise, the engine lost power over a 10 to 15 second period. There was no sputtering or shaking associated with the loss of power. Lining up with the contours of the pasture, the pilot attempted an emergency landing. After touchdown the airplane nosed over inverted. Examination of the engine disclosed a gear train failure in the accessory gearbox, which prevented the camshaft from actuating the valves, and allowed only one magneto drive to rotate when the propeller was turned. The engine was not disassembled for further examination.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 267 hours in all; 218 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 267 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,523 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 16, 1998; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT GA at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,500 ft; clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from ATL, 10 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.