Rockwell 112 N1423J

Summary

On 16 February 2025 at about 04:00 local time, a Rockwell 112 registered N1423J was involved in an accident near Covington, Georgia, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause has been published yet; this accident is still under investigation.

Date

16 February 2025 at 04:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Covington, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Covington Municipal (CVC)

Coordinates

33.6337, -83.8424

Aircraft

Rockwell 112

Registration

N1423J

Category

Airplane

Year built

1975

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Valdosta

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA25FA120

2 people died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. The investigation is still open; a final report usually follows one to two years after the accident.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On February 15, 2025, about 2300, a Rockwell 112, N1423J, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Covington, Georgia. The private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control radio communication information, the pilot contacted Atlanta Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) Departure Radar North (DRN) position for an instrument flight rules (IFR) clearance and release from Covington Municipal Airport to Valdosta Regional Airport, Valdosta, Georgia. At 2256, the pilot advised the controller he would be departing from runway 10 and was ready to depart. The DRN controller issued the clearance with an initial climb to 3,000 ft, as well as a departure frequency and transponder code, which the pilot correctly read back. The pilot was advised that the release for departure clearance was void if he had not departed within 10 minutes, which he acknowledged. There was no record that the pilot contacted the DRN controller after his last audio communication while on the ground. A review of airport security cameras revealed that a light from the airplane came into view during the takeoff roll on runway 10 at 2259 and went out of view from that camera several seconds later. The airplane at the time when it went out of view was located about 1,800 ft down the runway. Another airport security camera with a view of where the airplane impacted trees and terrain recorded a very bright light filling the upper portion of the screen at about 1 minute later. According to the Covington-Newton County Communications Center Call Detail Report, at 2303, a mobile phone belonging to the passenger dialed 911 and advised by automated voice message that the owner was in a severe crash and was not responding to their phone. The coordinates of the location that were given were about 34 ft northeast of the actual resting position of the main wreckage. Additionally, the Covington Police Department dispatch received a call from the FAA TRACON about 2322 reporting that the accident airplane was supposed to depart at 2259 and they had not heard from the pilot yet. Law enforcement personnel responded to the airport and when they were at the north side of the airport from behind two chain link fences officers noted a fire erupting from a wooded area. The officers cut access points in both chain link fences, responded to the site with handheld fire extinguishers and attempted to extinguish the fire. The accident site was located about 4,230 ft down and 620 ft north of the northern edge of runway 10. The cockpit and cabin were consumed by the postimpact fire. The wreckage was recovered and retained for further examination.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.