Cessna 172 accident near Cornelia, Georgia, June 8, 2016
On June 8, 2016 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna 172, registered N444WM, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Cornelia, Georgia (Habersham County airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot's unnecessary pedal application and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action resulting in a loss of directional control, runway excursion and ground impact during the aborted landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 8, 2016 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cornelia, Georgia · Habersham County · 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 1977 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N444WM · no longer on the register · serial 172-68249
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that this was her fifth instructional flight with the student and that they were practicing takeoffs and landings in the pattern. She recalled that the previous landing accomplished by the student was "squirrelly." She reported that she reminded the student pilot "how/why not to use the pedals during the landing roll, and to stay off of the brakes." She recalled that the student completed the next approach and landing and both were stable. However, during the landing roll the airplane made an abrupt right turn, and exited the right side of the runway about the midpoint of the 5500 foot long by 100 foot wide runway. The flight instructor reported that she did not believe that she would be able to bring the airplane back to the left and aborted the landing. However, the airplane struck rising terrain, entered a 360 degree turn and struck an embankment. The flight instructor asked the student if he had his feet on the pedals during the landing roll, and he replied "I think so." The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, horizontal stabilizer and elevator. The flight instructor reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with any portion of the airplane during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operations.
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
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- 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 › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Unnecessary action › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Student/instructed pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,376 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 57 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 2,310 as pilot in command; 1,815 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 12, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 6 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,729 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 4, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 1,749 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AJR Cornelia GA at 4:30 pm
- Destination: AJR Cornelia GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 5,506 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 5:15 pm from KTOC, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.
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.