Cessna 206H accident near Vandiver, Alabama, January 12, 2001
On January 12, 2001 at about 1:15 am local time, a Cessna 206H, registered N2468G, was destroyed in an accident near Vandiver, Alabama (Bessemer airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inflight decision to continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions resulted in the inflight collision with trees. Low ceilings and trees were factors
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 12, 2001 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Vandiver, Alabama · Bessemer · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 206H · all 206Hs on the register
- Registration
- N2468G · registry record · serial 20608119
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The cargo flight was scheduled to arrive at the destination airport at 1945; but it never arrived. When the operator became concerned, he reported the overdue airplane to the local FAA Flight Service Station. After the search for the missing airplane was initiated, an orbiting satellite identified an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal in the vicinity of the downed airplane. The following morning, a ground search party located the downed airplane wreckage at the 1,400-foot level of Penitentiary Mountain. A review of weather data and witness accounts, revealed that low ceilings were present at the accident site at the approximate time of the accident. The pilot had not filed a flight plane nor had he received a recent weather briefing before departing on the last leg of the flight. No mechanical problems were discovered during the post-crash examination of the airplane
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 11,050 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 16, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 218 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 2, 2001; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 ACIA5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GVL Gainesville GA
- Destination: EKY Bessemer AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05, 5,700 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 2.5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 400 ft; ovct at 100 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 1:28 am from BHM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N2468G the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL01FA019.