Cessna 172 accident near Greensboro, Georgia, September 30, 2023
On September 30, 2023 at about 4:00 pm local time, a 1986 Cessna 172, registered N9522L, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Greensboro, Georgia (Greene County Regional Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a light pole during taxi.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 2023 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Greensboro, Georgia · Greene County Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 P, built 1986 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N9522L · registry record · serial 17276570
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after landing, while taxing to the ramp to park, the solo student pilot was going to turn the airplane 180° to orient it with the parking spot. During the turn, the airplane’s left wing impacted a light pole resulting in substantial damage to wing spar. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 taxi (from runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Awareness of condition
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 62 hours in all; 62 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,356 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 31, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Air Plains STC SA4428SW (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CEU Clemson SC at 3:09 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 5,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 11:51 am from AHN, 23 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KAHN 301551Z 08004KT 10SM CLR 28/17 A3019 RMK AO2 SLP217 T02780172
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 9, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigative Photos | 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.
Other NTSB records under N9522L 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.