On March 17, 1990, a Cessna 172N (registration N734JE) was involved in an aviation accident near Montezuma, GA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff, which resulted in a loss of control. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
An aircraft departed on an instrument training flight, climbed steeply, turned sharply left, then descended rapidly into terrain. Both occupants died in the crash and subsequent fire.
The instructor pilot was conducting instrument training with a private pilot when the accident occurred. Witnesses observed the aircraft during takeoff appearing to be in a very nose-high attitude. The aircraft made a sharp left turn followed by a steep nose down descent and impacted the terrain. The airplane was destroyed by the impact and the post crash fire.
The flight phase was takeoff. The occupants were 2 fatal.
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff, which resulted in a loss of control.