Cessna 551 N1218S
22 December 1999 · Cordele, Georgia, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 22 December 1999 at about 02:30 local time, a Cessna 551 registered N1218S, operated by William McMahan, was involved in an accident near Cordele, Georgia, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 02:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Cordele, Georgia, United States
- Nearest airport
- Crisp County Airport (CKF)
- Coordinates
- 31.9595, -83.7697
- Aircraft
- Cessna 551
- Registration
- N1218S
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- William McMahan
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Dallas → Cordele
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- ATL00FA017
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to follow the published missed approach procedures, and to maintain proper altitude. Factors contributing to the severity of the accident were the low ceilings and trees.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The Cessna 551, collided with trees and subsequently the ground following a missed approach to runway 10, at the Crisp County Airport in Cordele, Georgia. According to the Jacksonville Air Traffic Control Center, the pilot was given radar vectors to the outer marker and cleared him for the non-precision localizer approach to runway 10. Recorded radar data showed the airplane initiating the approach at 1900 feet mean sea level (MSL) as published. The airplane descended to 600 feet MSL as published and over-flew the airport. The controller stated that he was waiting for the missed approach call, as he observed the airplane climb to 700 feet MSL. The airplane then descended back to 600 feet MSL and disappeared from radar. The controller never received a missed approach call. A witness near the airport stated that he heard the airplane fly over but did not see it due to haze and fog.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 551 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Sep 1998 | Cessna 551 | Pueblo, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Apr 2002 | Cessna 551 | Lake in Hills, Illinois, United States | Northern Illinois Flight Center Inc | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jan 2003 | Cessna 551 (CITATION II) | Perigueux, France | Sonnig SA | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jul 2003 | Cessna 551 | Sorocaba, Brazil | Agua Limpa Transportes Ltda. | Fatal | 1 |
| 1 Jan 2005 | Cessna 551 | Ainsworth, Nebraska, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 3 Dec 2007 | Cessna 551 | Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, United States | CCM Aviation L.L.C. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jul 1999 | Let BLANIK L-13 | Monroe, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Sep 1999 | Cessna 182P | Summerville, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Oct 1999 | Cessna 152 | Cornelia, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Mar 1999 | Luscombe 8E | Dahlonega, Georgia, United States | Chester Thurston | No injuries | - |
| 22 Jul 1999 | Bell OH-13H/M74A | Sparta, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jul 1999 | Beechcraft 77 | Dawson, Georgia, United States | Michael C. Stern | No injuries | - |