Cessna 172 N4390L

Summary

On 11 October 2025 at about 00:15 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N4390L, operated by Aero Science International LLC, was involved in an accident near Sandersville, Georgia, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause has been published yet; this accident is still under investigation.

Date

11 October 2025 at 00:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Sandersville, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Kaolin Fld (OKZ)

Coordinates

32.9734, -82.8561

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N4390L

Category

Airplane

Year built

1966

Engines

1

Operator

Aero Science International LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Augusta

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA26LA012

1 person had minor injuries.

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 October 10, 2025, about 2015 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172G, N4390L, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Sandersville, Geogia. The pilot was not injured and the passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight. According to the pilot, maintenance had just been completed on the airplane, and the purpose of this flight was to take it back to the airport where the airplane was based. He performed a normal preflight inspection of the airplane and stated that the engine run-up was normal. The pilot also confirmed that he had used a measuring stick to check the fuel quantity. During the departure, he reported that the airplane left the ground, but about 250 ft above ground level, the engine rpm began to drop. The pilot attempted to quickly troubleshoot by “pumping” the throttle lever and verifying the fuel selector position. The airplane was unable to maintain altitude and impacted the tops of trees. A postaccident examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the wing fuel tanks contained fluid that smelled and appeared visually consistent with automotive fuel. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, and empennage. The airplane contained avionics that were capable of recording airframe and engine data. These were retained for further examination and data download. The wreckage was retained for further examination.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.