Cessna 182P accident near Carrollton, Georgia, March 8, 2009
On March 8, 2009 at about 12:45 pm local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N1913M, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Carrollton, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to continue visual flight rules flight into an area of reduced visibility weather conditions, which resulted in disorientation and subsequent loss of aircraft control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 8, 2009 · about 12:45 pm local time
- Place
- Carrollton, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N1913M · registry record · serial 18264478
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-instrument-rated pilot and two passengers departed under visual meteorological conditions and encountered instrument meteorological conditions while en route to their destination. A witness near the accident site stated she heard a "whining high speed sound" followed by a "thud." She noticed water splashing up from a lake, into the air, which was followed by silence. The airplane crashed into a private lake, and was located at a depth of approximately 16 feet and heavily fragmented, consistent with a high speed impact. Subsequent examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact abnormalities. The pilot did not obtain a weather briefing prior to the flight. A witness near the accident site described the weather conditions at the time of the accident as "low cloud cover" with fog drifting across the surface of the lake, and "misty overcast." Another witness stated that conditions were "very foggy." The pilot had accumulated about 168 hours of total flight experience, which included about 70 hours as pilot-in-command, and 3.2 hours logged as "simulated instrument," and 0 hours logged in "actual instrument" meteorological conditions.
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 control in flight during enroute defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Low visibility › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusio › Spatial disorientation › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 168 hours in all; 126 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 70 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 25, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,765 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 18, 2008; 65 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RYY Kennesaw GA at 12:05 pm
- Destination: 4A7 Hampton GA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 0 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 300 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 1:00 pm from CCO, 26 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.