Smith PITTS SPECIAL S-1 accident near Madison, Georgia, September 29, 2026
On September 29, 2026 at about 5:47 pm local time, a 1976 Smith PITTS SPECIAL S-1, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N292Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Madison, Georgia (Madison Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 29, 2026 · about 5:47 pm local time · cases in 2026
- Place
- Madison, Georgia · Madison Municipal Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Smith PITTS SPECIAL S-1, built 1976, amateur-built
- Registration
- N292Y · registry record · serial 3-29-38
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On September 29, 2026, at about 1347 eastern daylight time, a Smith Pitts Special S-1, N292Y, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Madison, Georgia. The pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, on the day of the accident, he planned to fly from Madison Municipal Airport (52A), Madison, Georgia, to Atlanta Regional Airport-Falcon Field (FFC), Atlanta, Georgia to retrieve an airplane part. The pilot indicated the flight from 52A to FFC was uneventful, and after obtaining the airplane part, he departed for the return flight to 52A. Shortly after the pilot began his descent toward 52A, the airplane suddenly experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot turned on the airplane’s fuel boost pump, but when that failed to restore engine power, he began looking for a suitable area to perform a forced landing. As the pilot maneuvered the airplane toward a clearing, the engine briefly “revved up” two or three times before losing power again. The pilot subsequently performed a forced landing in the front yard of a residence. During the landing roll, the airplane impacted a tree, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and empennage. The pilot stated that, after he extracted himself from the airplane, he saw fuel pouring out of the airplane’s fuel tank. The airplane was recovered to a secure storage facility for examination.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
The aircraft
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: FFC Atlanta GA at 5:18 pm
- Destination: 52A Madison GA
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 1:35 pm from KD73, 13 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KD73 291735Z AUTO 10SM CLR 27/12 A3006 RMK AO2 T02730124
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
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
- N292Y on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Smith 184 aircraft on the register
- Madison Municipal · nearest airport
- Atlanta Regional Falcon Field · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Georgia 2,138 since 1982 · 361 in the last ten years
- Georgia 8,800 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR26LA362.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.