Wingtip To Wingtip LLC PANZL S-330 and amateur-built DHC 6 TWIN OTTER accident near Cedartown, Georgia, October 11, 2019
On October 11, 2019 at about 11:04 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Wingtip To Wingtip LLC PANZL S-330 (N540ML) and amateur-built DHC 6 TWIN OTTER (N166DH), were involved in the same accident near Cedartown, Georgia (Polk County Airport- Cornelius). No one was hurt; 12 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
***This report was modified on June 4, 2020. Please see the docket for this accident to view the original report.*** The departing pilot's failure to see and avoid the arriving airplane as it was turning off the runway from which the departing pilot was taking off.
***This report was modified on June 4, 2020. Please see the docket for this accident to view the original report.*** The departing pilot's failure to see and avoid the arriving airplane as it was turning off the runway from which the departing pilot was taking off.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 2019 · about 11:04 pm local time · cases in 2019
- Place
- Cedartown, Georgia · Polk County Airport- Cornelius · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 12 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Wingtip To Wingtip LLC PANZL S-330, built 2008
- Registration
- N540ML · registry record · serial 008
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Amateur-built DHC 6 TWIN OTTER 100, built 1967
- Registration
- N166DH · registry record · serial 66
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Wingtip To Wingtip LLC PANZL S-330 final · quoted from the NTSB record
***This report was modified on June 4, 2020. Please see the docket for this accident to view the original report.*** The pilot in the Panzl S-330 airplane reported that he was landing and had turned on the airport runway pilot-controlled lighting about 5 miles before arriving at the airport and transmitted a 2-mile final radio call over the airport's CTAF. He landed the airplane and made "S" turns on runway 28 because "it is not possible to see the opposite threshold" when established on the runway. When the pilot began a right turn to exit the runway at the midfield taxiway, a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter airplane that had initiated a takeoff roll from the opposite end of the runway impacted his airplane. The airport's runway does not have a parallel taxiway, and it is standard practice to back taxi to the departure end. The pilot in the Twin Otter reported that he transmitted his intentions to taxi to the midfield intersection and to depart from runway 10. He did not activate the pilot-controlled runway lighting but recalled that he had noticed that the pilot-controlled lighting had been turned on, and he taxied to the hold short line and did not see any airplanes. He back taxied to the approach end of runway 10 and maneuvered his airplane to take off. During the takeoff roll, the airplane's left wing struck the Panzl S-330. Neither pilot recalled hearing radio transmissions on the CTAF. The Twin Otter sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar. Both pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with their airplanes 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 NTSB's narrative for the amateur-built DHC 6 TWIN OTTER final · quoted from the NTSB record
***This report was modified on June 4, 2020. Please see the docket for this accident to view the original report.*** The pilot in the Panzl S-330 airplane reported that he was landing and had turned on the airport runway pilot-controlled lighting about 5 miles before arriving at the airport and transmitted a 2-mile final radio call over the airport's CTAF. He landed the airplane and made "S" turns on runway 28 because "it is not possible to see the opposite threshold" when established on the runway. When the pilot began a right turn to exit the runway at the midfield taxiway, a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter airplane that had initiated a takeoff roll from the opposite end of the runway impacted his airplane. The airport's runway does not have a parallel taxiway, and it is standard practice to back taxi to the departure end. The pilot in the Twin Otter reported that he transmitted his intentions to taxi to the midfield intersection and to depart from runway 10. He did not activate the pilot-controlled runway lighting but recalled that he had noticed that the pilot-controlled lighting had been turned on, and he taxied to the hold short line and did not see any airplanes. He back taxied to the approach end of runway 10 and maneuvered his airplane to take off. During the takeoff roll, the airplane's left wing struck the Panzl S-330. Neither pilot recalled hearing radio transmissions on the CTAF. The Twin Otter sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar. Both pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with their airplanes 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 for the Wingtip To Wingtip LLC PANZL S-330 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Ground collision during taxi defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Aircraft › Effect on operation
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other aircraft › Pilot of other aircraft
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,465 hours in all; 665 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 2,421 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 29, 2019
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 752.3 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, April 9, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,550 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 G1D5 (piston); 1,752 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3A2 Tazewell TN at 11:05 pm
- Destination: 4A4 Cedartown GA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 am from KPUJ, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
The factual record for the amateur-built DHC 6 TWIN OTTER from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Ground collision during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Aircraft › Effect on operation
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other aircraft › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney PT6A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney PT6A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sdp Llc
The flight
- Departed from: 4A4 Cedartown GA at 11:04 pm
- Destination: 4A4 Cedartown GA
- Flight plan: none
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 10 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
Aircraft
- N540ML on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- N166DH on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 G1D5 26 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A 2,217 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
Place
- Polk County/Cornelius Moore Field · nearest airport
- The New Tazewell/Wayne Coffey Municipal · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Georgia 2,138 since 1982 · 361 in the last ten years
- Georgia 8,804 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/GAA20CA021.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.