N4953N

On June 26, 2025, at about 09:30 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 182Q, N4953N, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Nahunta, Georgia. The private pilot was uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

According to the pilot, the airplane had just undergone extensive maintenance in Sylacauga, Alabama, and he was planning to take the airplane to the W H 'Bud' Barron Airport (DBN), Dublin, Georgia. The pilot stopped at the Brantley County Airport (4J1), Nahunta, Georgia, on June 24, 2025, and the airplane remained parked until the day of the accident. The pilot reported that he performed a preflight inspection followed by a normal start of the engine. He allowed the engine to warm up and performed a magneto drop and propeller governor check. Shortly thereafter, a fire suddenly came up from the floor around the rudder pedals. The pilot exited the airplane and unsuccessfully attempted to extinguish the fire with a handheld fire extinguisher. The fire consumed most of the fuselage and the right wing, and the left wing was thermally damaged at the wing root.

The wreckage was retained for further examination.