Cessna 172P accident near Buchanan, Georgia, September 6, 1999
On September 6, 1999 at about 4:50 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N7883U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Buchanan, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Factors were conditions favorable for the formation of carburetor ice during glide and cruise, and 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
- September 6, 1999 · about 4:50 pm local time
- Place
- Buchanan, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N7883U · no longer on the register · serial 17251883
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the purpose of the flight was to show the airplane to two prospective buyers. According to the pilot, several minutes into the flight the engine lost power. Attempts to restart the engine failed. During the attempted forced landing, the pilot maneuvered the airplane to avoid a collision with utility lines; the airplane subsequently collided with the ground, and rested adjacent to a fence inside a pasture. The post-accident examination of the airplane at the accident site disclosed that the carburetor assembly was broken from the normally installed position. During the subsequent examination of the engine assembly, raw fuel was observed on several spark plugs, and the several cylinders displayed dark residue inside the combustion chambers. During the functional check, the engine operated normally up to 2000 RPM. A review of weather data and icing probability charts, at the approximate time of the accident disclosed that conditions were favorable for the formation of carburetor ice.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 473 hours in all; 392 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Unknown (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,880 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 13, 1998; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Villa Rica GA at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:00 pm from FFC, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.