Cessna 172 accident near Locust Grove, Georgia, December 26, 2020
On December 26, 2020 at about 10:39 pm local time, a 1976 Cessna 172, registered N75825, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Locust Grove, Georgia (Mallards Landing 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 improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a loss of directional control and subsequent runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 26, 2020 · about 10:39 pm local time
- Place
- Locust Grove, Georgia · Mallards Landing · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 N, built 1976 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N75825 · registry record · serial 17267982
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing on the wet, downward sloped turf runway. During the landing the airplane bounced “hard.” The pilot applied the brakes, but the airplane skidded off the wet turf runway and impacted a fence and trees. The airplane’s fuselage and wings were substantially damaged during the accident.
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 on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Hard landing during landing
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 132 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 80 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 4, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,393 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 8, 2020; 6.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07, 4,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 5:35 pm from 6A2, 10 miles away
Weather report (METAR): K6A2 262235Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 05/M11 A3014 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on August 26, 2021. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - Additional Information for NTSB Form 6120 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statements | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record - Conversation with FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Video Recording | video | 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 N75825 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.