Cessna 120 accident near Woodstock, Georgia, January 12, 2009
On January 12, 2009 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 120, registered N57N, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Woodstock, Georgia (Air Acres airport). It was a personal 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
A loss of engine power, as reported by the pilot, for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 12, 2009 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Woodstock, Georgia · Air Acres · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 120 · all 120s on the register
- Registration
- N57N · registry record · serial 11996
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on the base leg of the traffic pattern, the pilot states that he applied carburetor heat and reduced the engine power to idle. He reported that when he turned onto the final leg, the airplane was lower than he wanted it be and that he advanced the throttle control, but the engine did not respond. The airplane subsequently struck trees prior to the runway and then impacted the ground. Both wings and the fuselage were substantially damaged. The National Transportation Safety Board was notified of the accident by the pilot about 1 month after the accident. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector was conducted about 6 weeks after the accident and did not reveal evidence of any preaccident malfunctions. A weather report from an airport located about 9 miles northeast of the accident site about the time of the accident indicated a temperature of 9 degrees Celsius (C) and a dew point of -7 degrees C.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR pattern final)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,650 hours in all; 100 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 31, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,623 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 2, 2008; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,420 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C85 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CZL Dalton GA at 9:00 pm
- Destination: 5GA4 Woodstock GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 8:49 pm from RYY, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N57N 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.