Boeing B75N1 accident near Williamson, Georgia, June 3, 2017
On June 3, 2017 at about 2:20 pm local time, a 1943 Boeing B75N1, registered N218DL, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Williamson, Georgia (Alexander Memorial 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 aggressive and early forward stick application during the landing roll, which resulted in his failure to maintain pitch control and a subsequent nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 3, 2017 · about 2:20 pm local time
- Place
- Williamson, Georgia · Alexander Memorial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing B75N1 N1, built 1943 · all B75N1s on the register
- Registration
- N218DL · registry record · serial 75-7389
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he was performing a wheel landing on a turf runway. He recalled that he was too aggressive and too early moving the stick forward during the touchdown and landing roll. The airplane's tail lifted, the nose pitched down, and the propeller stuck the ground. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and the rudder. Per the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, the pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented "by not being so early moving the stick forward in a taildragger during a wheel landing." The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with 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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action sequence › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 24,000 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 15,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 25, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,930 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs B755 (piston); 600 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DZJ Blairsville GA at 1:20 pm
- Destination: GA2 Williamson GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 2,400 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 pm from K6A2, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N218DL 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.