Vans Aircraft INC RV-12 accident near Folkston, Georgia, October 26, 2021
On October 26, 2021 at about 11:23 pm local time, a Vans Aircraft INC RV-12, registered N525AT, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Folkston, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s low altitude maneuvering, which resulted in a collision with a utility pole.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 26, 2021 · about 11:23 pm local time
- Place
- Folkston, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Vans Aircraft INC RV-12
- Registration
- N525AT · registry record · serial 12065
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Flight track information indicated that, about 1 hour and 35 minutes after departure, in night conditions, the airplane was maneuvering in the vicinity of an airport. The pilot crossed over the runway twice while descending, maneuvered near a roadway, and the groundspeed decreased before the airplane contacted a utility pole beside the road and then impacted terrain. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. A family member reported that the pilot had difficulty with his vision during the day, and especially at night. Additionally, a witness stated, and a published NOTAM confirmed, that the runway edge lights at the airport were inoperative. Given the airplane’s maneuvering in the vicinity of the airport and its decreasing speed similar to an approach to landing phase of flight, it is possible that the pilot was maneuvering in an attempt to locate the runway and land when the airplane struck the utility pole.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Awareness of condition
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 0 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: GIF Winter Haven FL at 9:25 pm
- Destination: RVJ Reidsville GA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 310° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from KJAX, 26 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KJAX 262356Z 31004KT 10SM CLR 19/13 A2981 RMK AO2 SLP095 T01890133 10272 20189 53012
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on September 7, 2023. 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 | Memorandum for Record A�� Pilot's Son Interview | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statements | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Flight Track | picture | View Download |
| 5 | Final Track V1 | picture | View Download |
| 6 | Final Section of Flight Track | picture | View Download |
| 7 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.