Republic RC-3 accident near Cedar Bluff, Alabama, September 15, 2012
On September 15, 2012 at about 2:50 pm local time, a Republic RC-3, registered N6072K, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Cedar Bluff, Alabama. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to see and avoid power lines during final approach to landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 15, 2012 · about 2:50 pm local time
- Place
- Cedar Bluff, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Republic RC-3 · all RC-3s on the register
- Registration
- N6072K · registry record · serial 252
- 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 amphibious airplane departed his home airport and flew to a lake to visit a friend who lived on the shore of the lake. According to the pilot’s friend, the pilot normally approached the lake from the north, made a left 180-degree turn, and then landed to the north. On the day of the accident, however, the wind was calm, and instead of landing to the north, the pilot flew over his friend's house from the west, about 400 feet above ground level, made a left 180-degree turn, and began a descent toward the surface of the lake. During the descent, the airplane contacted a set of electrical transmission lines. During the impact, the airplane's forward motion almost completely stopped, it rolled to the right until it was inverted, then fell to the surface of the lake and sank. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction of the airplane or engine that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the electrical transmission lines revealed that they were unmarked where they crossed the lake. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector and local witnesses, the lines were hard to see and did not contrast well with the surrounding terrain due to the color of the sky, water, and cloud cover. However, the pilot should have been aware of the lines, because they were depicted on the sectional chart for the area, and he had landed on the lake several times before the accident flight.
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 visual reference during approach defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 400 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,027 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 3,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6A8-215-B8F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8A1 Guntersville AL
- Destination: Cedar Bluff AL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from 4A9, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA12LA562.