Cessna 172P N96493

Summary

On 9 January 2026 at about 20:39 local time, a Cessna 172P registered N96493 was involved in an accident near Flemington, Georgia, United States. One person was 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

9 January 2026 at 20:39

Classification

Accident

Location

Flemington, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Wright Aaf (Fort Stewart)/Midc (LHW)

Coordinates

31.8896, -81.5627

Aircraft

Cessna 172P

Registration

N96493

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA26LA092

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s inadvertent manipulation of the mixture control, which resulted in a total loss of engine power during initial climb and a subsequent forced lading.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Shortly after takeoff, during the initial climb, the pilot stated that he perceived that the airplane’s engine noise was louder than normal. After ensuring that the pilot and passenger side windows were closed and locked, he decided that he would decrease the engine throttle slightly to diagnose the sound. When the pilot reached for the throttle, he inadvertently grabbed the mixture control, and after pulling it back, the engine lost power completely. The pilot attempted to restart the engine twice, but both attempts were unsuccessful. As the airplane was approaching a tree line, and only at an altitude of about 300 ft above the ground, the pilot decided to turn back to a field that was near the end of the runway. The pilot subsequently landed the airplane off-airport, and during the landing roll the nose landing gear encountered a rut. The airplane subsequently nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane’s rudder and wings. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.