Cessna 172F N5324R

Summary

On 21 July 2006 at about 23:15 local time, a Cessna 172F registered N5324R, operated by David Bradley Gilbert, was involved in an accident near Rome, Georgia, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 July 2006 at 23:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Rome, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Richard B. Russell (RMG)

Coordinates

34.3533, -85.1547

Aircraft

Cessna 172F

Registration

N5324R

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

David Bradley Gilbert

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Rome → Rome

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

ATL06CA106

3 people were seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall, and subsequent impact with the ground.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot he was to fly over the local area and then return to the airport. The pilot stated that he was to fly three circles over a banner that the family had placed on the tarmac. The pilot said that the airplane was functioning normally at the time of the accident but believed he was too slow and low with an aft center of gravity. A witness confirmed that the airplane was very low, and very slow, at about 100 feet away and 75 feet above ground level as he crossed the tarmac. As the pilot transmitted information about his turns the stall warning horn could be heard in the background. The witness stated that the airplane started to "wobble," and just before it reached the "Big Hangar the nose went up and the entire airplane turned left about 160-degrees, first landing on its left wing and then smashing down on its front."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.