Cessna 172 accident near Reidsville, Georgia, February 16, 2009
On February 16, 2009 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N9289H, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Reidsville, Georgia (Statesboro-Bulloch County Arpt airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during an attempted recovery from a stall/spin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 16, 2009 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Reidsville, Georgia · Statesboro-Bulloch County Arpt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 M · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N9289H · no longer on the register · serial 17266070
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane inadvertently entered a spin during recovery from a practice power-off stall, with 30 degrees of flaps deployed. The pilot stated that during the recovery of the practice stall he applied, "full power and nose level...the airplane went sideways and started spinning downwards." The pilot did not immediately reduce power, and the airplane's speed increased as it descended. He reported that upon recovering from the spin, the airspeed was over 120 knots; however, the airplane's maximum airspeed with flaps extended was 85 knots. The pilot subsequently retracted the flaps and heard a "creaking noise." Postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed that the wings and flaps were damaged.
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
- Simulated/training event during maneuvering
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › TE flap control system › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 58 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: February 10, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,231.7 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 30, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Pegasus Air LLC
The flight
- Departed from: CRG Jacksonville FL at 8:00 pm
- Destination: TBR Statesboro GA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 pm from TBR, 50 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.