Flightstar INC FLIGHTSTAR II accident near Grantville, Georgia, May 22, 2011
On May 22, 2011 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Flightstar INC FLIGHTSTAR II, registered N194PG, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Grantville, Georgia (Newnan-Coweta 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
A total loss of engine power while maneuvering due to a seized piston.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 2011 · about 11:45 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Grantville, Georgia · Newnan-Coweta · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Flightstar INC FLIGHTSTAR II · all FLIGHTSTAR IIs on the register
- Registration
- N194PG · registry record · serial 1993P
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the experimental light sport aircraft conducted a low pass over a runway and then applied engine power to climb. The airplane sustained a momentary loss of engine power followed by a sudden total loss of engine power due to the rear piston seizing. The airplane subsequently impacted trees and came to rest on a road. The airplane was equipped with a non-certificated engine that, according to the operator’s manual, was prone to sudden engine stoppage.
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 (total) during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › (general) › Failure other cases naming the engine
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure other cases naming the engine
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Not specified
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 650 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: February 6, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 967 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 25, 2010; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 998 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503DCSI (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CCO Newnan GA at 11:25 pm
- Destination: CCO Newnan GA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on February 2, 2012. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Special Airworthiness Certificate | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Excerpt from Aircraft Logbook | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Excerpt from Engine Operators Manual (Section 4.2: Safety Information) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Email from Airplane Owner and Rotech Flight Safety | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Photograph # 1: View of Airplane as It Came to Rest (Provided by FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Photograph # 2: View of Engine After Airplane Recovery. (Provided by FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Photograph # 3: View of Rear Piston Skirt (Provided by Owner/pilot) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Photograph # 4: View of Front Piston Skirt (Provided by Owner/pilot) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N194PG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N194PG on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Flightstar Inc FLIGHTSTAR II 5 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: Rotax 503DCSI 72 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Newnan Coweta County · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Georgia 2,138 since 1982 · 361 in the last ten years
- Georgia 8,800 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N194PG 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA11LA307.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.