Piper PA 18-150 accident near Cornelia, Georgia, April 4, 2015
On April 4, 2015 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 1965 Piper PA 18-150, registered N7153Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Cornelia, Georgia (Habersham County airport). It was a personal 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 directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 4, 2015 · about 3:00 pm local time · cases in 2015
- Place
- Cornelia, Georgia · Habersham County · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 18-150 A150, built 1965 · all PA 18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N7153Z · registry record · serial 18-8266
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that just as he was going to touch down on the runway, the airplane wanted to turn to the left, he applied right rudder but it was not affective. He applied full power and attempted to abort the landing but the airplane would not gain lift. The airplane veered left off the runway and into the grass and was traveling towards a ditch. He applied one notch of flaps in an attempt to clear the ditch; subsequently the airplanes main wheels came in contact with the ditch first and stopped immediately, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,225 hours in all; 59.5 in this make and model; 61.2 in the last 90 days; 1,109.4 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 15, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Supercub 88 LLC
The flight
- Departed from: LZU Lawrenceville GA at 1:45 pm
- Destination: LZU Lawrenceville GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 5,506 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 11 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KGVL, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on July 7, 2015. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Phone Conversation (Pilot) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 1 – View of Airplane Front Left (Photo Courtesy of the FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 2 – View of Airplane Front (Photo Courtesy of the FAA) | 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 N7153Z 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
- N7153Z on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-18 Super Cub 3,620 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,840 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES 27,303 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Habersham County · nearest airport
- Gwinnett County/Briscoe Field · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Georgia 2,138 since 1982 · 361 in the last ten years
- Georgia 8,804 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N7153Z 2 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/GAA15CA070.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.