What happened
On June 17, 2024, at 19:49 EDT, a Lockheed 12A, registration N2072, was performing a landing on runway 36 at Seven Lakes Airport (62GA) in Jackson, Georgia, when the accident occurred. During the landing roll, the aircraft veered off the left side of the runway and collided with trees. The accident resulted in 3 serious injuries to the flight instructor, the commercial pilot, and one passenger; there were 0 fatalities.
At the time of the accident, weather conditions were VMC with a visibility of 10 statute miles and winds from 130 degrees at 03 knots. The flight was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight.
The investigation
Upon examination at the accident site, the aircraft was found approximately 1,682 feet down runway 36, about 50 feet from the left side of the runway. The impact with a tree caused the cockpit to be crushed aft toward the cabin, with a tree trunk measuring approximately 2 feet in circumference penetrating the cockpit area and buckling the instrument panel. The pilot, co-pilot, and passenger seats were crushed upward and aft.
Mechanical examination of the Lockheed 12A revealed the following:
- All flight control surfaces remained intact, and control continuity was established from the surfaces to the cockpit.
- The flaps were in the extended position.
- Engine throttle controls were closed, propellers were in the high pitch/decrease rpm position, and mixture controls were in the lean position.
- The left fuel tank selector was in the OFF position, while the right fuel tank selector had been displaced from the panel.
- The carburetor heat controls were in the cold position.
- The tailwheel lock control lever was in the locked position, though the locking tab mechanism on the tailwheel assembly was unlocked.
- An inspection of the main landing gear braking system found that the steel braided brake line B-nut fitting on the right brake caliper was finger-tight, with hydraulic fluid leaking from the fitting. The left main landing gear B-nut fitting was tight, though hydraulic fluid residue was present around it.