Cessna 172 N885GT

Summary

On 12 December 2024 at about 01:00 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N885GT, operated by Yellow Jacket Flying Club Inc, was involved in an accident near Jefferson, Georgia, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 December 2024 at 01:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Jefferson, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Jackson County (JCA)

Coordinates

34.1754, -83.5614

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N885GT

Category

Airplane

Year built

2004

Engines

1

Operator

Yellow Jacket Flying Club Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Atlanta → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA25LA078

Nobody was injured.

The airplane’s collision with a deer on the runway during landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor stated that after completion of a night practice instrument approach, they continued to the runway to perform a touch-and-go landing. As the main landing gear touched down on the runway, three deer ran in front of the airplane. The flight crew aborted the landing and then heard a loud “bang” when the airplane’s nose landing gear struck one of the deer as the airplane ascended. The underside of the fuselage was substantially damaged as a result of the collision. The pilot continued the departure, notified air traffic control, and landed at an alternate airport without further incident. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.