What happened
On February 15, 2025, at approximately 2300, a Rockwell 112, registration N1423J, was destroyed in an accident near Covington, Georgia. The flight was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 for personal use. The accident resulted in 2 fatal injuries involving the pilot and one passenger.
Prior to departure, the pilot contacted Atlanta Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRANC) Departure Radar North (DRN) to request an instrument flight rules (IFR) clearance from Covington Municipal Airport to Valdosta Regional Airport. At 2256, the pilot reported readiness for departure from runway 10. The controller issued a clearance including an initial climb to 3,000 feet, a departure frequency, and a transponder code, all of which were correctly read back by the pilot. The pilot was notified that the departure clearance would be void if takeoff did not occur within 10 minutes.
Airport security camera footage showed the aircraft's light appearing during the takeoff roll on runway 10 at 2259. The aircraft was approximately 1,800 feet down the runway when it moved out of the camera's view. About one minute later, another security camera captured a bright light in the upper portion of the screen at the location where the aircraft impacted trees and terrain.
At 2303, an automated 911 call was placed from a mobile phone belonging to the passenger, indicating a severe crash. Law enforcement officers arriving at the airport observed a fire in a wooded area near the north side of the airport. The accident site was located approximately 4,230 feet down the runway and 620 feet north of the northern edge of runway 10. The cockpit and cabin were destroyed by post-impact fire.