Piper PA-32RT accident near Vidalia, Georgia, October 14, 1998
On October 14, 1998 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-32RT, registered N39525, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vidalia, Georgia (Vidalia 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 inadequate preflight planning by which he failed to obtain NOTAM information, and his failure to identify an hazardous/unsafe condition on the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 14, 1998 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Vidalia, Georgia · Vidalia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32RT · all PA-32RTs on the register
- Registration
- N39525 · registry record · serial 32R-7887101
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he obtained a weather and NOTAM briefing before he departed on a VFR flight. Upon landing on runway 24 at his destination airport, the airplane collided with a barrier, and the left main landing gear collapsed. Coordination with FAA Automated Flight Service Stations revealed no record of a weather or NOTAM briefing provided to the accident pilot. A NOTAM was issued 3 months before the accident closing runway 24. Examination of the runway by the FAA after the accident revealed the closed runway was marked in accordance with required publications.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FPR Fort Pierce FL at 2:45 pm
- Destination: VID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 5,003 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:49 pm from AMG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.