Piper PA-31-350 accident near Moreland, Georgia, September 21, 1999
On September 21, 1999 at about 9:22 am local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N27343, was destroyed in an accident near Moreland, Georgia (Newnan Coweta County airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain the minimum descent altitude while executing a localizer approach. Contributing factors were low ceilings and dark night conditions as well as the trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 21, 1999 · about 9:22 am local time
- Place
- Moreland, Georgia · Newnan Coweta County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N27343 · registry record · serial 31-7752163
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight was cleared for a localizer approach to runway 32 at Newnan-Coweta County Airport during dark night conditions. About 8 minutes later the pilot reported to air traffic control that he had missed approach and would like to try another approach. The flight was radar vectored to the final approach course and again cleared for the localizer runway 32 approach. The flight was observed on radar to continue the approach until a point about 4 nautical miles from the airport, at which time radar contact was lost. The last observed altitude was 1,600 feet msl. The aircraft collided with 80-foot tall trees, while established on the localizer for runway 32, about 1.3 nautical miles from the runway. About the time of the accident the weather at the airport was reported as a cloud ceiling 200 feet agl, and visibility .75 statute miles. Post crash examination of the aircraft structure, flight controls, engines, propellers, and systems showed no evidence of pre-crash failure or malfunction.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 230 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 1,800 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,340 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, September 11, 1999; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,368 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Baltimore Air Transport, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: CLT Charlotte NC at 8:40 am
- Destination: CCO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32, 5,007 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 0.8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:20 am from CCO, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA99FA263.