Two Fatally Injured Near Brunswick In The Accident

The NTSB's preliminary report from an accident which occurred March 24 near Brunswick, GA indicates that a Piper Seminole on a training flight broke up in flight before going down in a marshy area in southeastern GA.

According to the report, Piper PA-44-180, N923RS, was destroyed following an inflight breakup and subsequent impact in a waterway. The two private pilots on board were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by ATP Aircraft 2, LLC and was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an IFR flight plan had been filed. The airplane had departed from the Concord Regional Airport (JQF), Concord, North Carolina, about 1551 EDT and had an intended destination of Jacksonville Executive Airport at Craig (CRG), Jacksonville, Florida.

According to representatives of the flight school, the pilots had flown into JQF earlier from CRG and had an airplane change for the flight back to CRG.

According to a witness, the airplane was observed flying in a "northeasterly direction" prior to his losing sight of the airplane. Several eyewitnesses reported hearing a "thud" or "explosion" and also observed debris falling from above.

Preliminary radar information indicated that around 1740 the airplane was flying at 8,000 feet when the FAA's Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center instructed the pilots to descend. The command was acknowledged by the pilots; however, no further voice recordings were received from the accident flight. About 1744, the last recorded radar data indicated that the airplane was at 300 feet above ground level and no further data transmissions were received.

(Piper Seminole pictured in file photo. Not accident airplane)

FMI: www.ntsb.gov