Piper PA28 accident near Cornelia, Georgia, December 5, 2018
On December 5, 2018 at about 8:35 pm local time, a 2000 Piper PA28, registered N839AL, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff 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 flight instructor's failure to maintain the runway heading during an attempted takeoff in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in a collision with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 5, 2018 · about 8:35 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
- Piper PA28 181, built 2000 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N839AL · registry record · serial 2843412
- 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, during a touch-and-go landing in crosswind conditions and with the student pilot on the controls, the airplane touched down on the runway centerline "but without perfect longitudinal (heading) alignment," and the airplane then veered left. The instructor took control of the airplane and added power to take off, but she did not retract any of the "partial" flaps. She maintained the "slightly" offset direction from the runway during the takeoff roll, and the airplane became airborne as it exited the left side of the runway. The left wing impacted trees and brush. Subsequently, the airplane came to rest at the bottom of a ravine. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 330° at 7 knots, gusting to 14 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 6.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during takeoff defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 94 in the last 90 days; 40.5 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 10, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 32 hours in all; 10.6 in this make and model; 8.3 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,520.5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 29, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-36A (piston); 12,933 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AJR Cornelia GA at 8:00 pm
- Destination: AJR Cornelia GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 06, 5,506 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 7 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Observation at 3:35 pm from KAJR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on March 21, 2019. 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 | Instructor Statement | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Picture | 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.
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.