Piper PA-24-250 accident near Roswell, Georgia, July 15, 1982
On July 15, 1982 at about 12:55 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N6868P, was destroyed in an accident near Roswell, Georgia (Dekalb Peachtree airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 1982 · about 12:55 pm local time
- Place
- Roswell, Georgia · Dekalb Peachtree · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N6868P · registry record · serial 24-2003
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ABOUT 12 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF THE PLT REPORTED "...ALTERNATOR OR GENERATOR TROUBLE" & REQUESTED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT. HE LATER REPORTED THAT HE WAS HAVING RADIO PROBLEMS. THE PLT WAS VECTORED TO INTERCEPT THE ILS RWY 20L APCH COURSE. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ABOUT 1 MI WEST OF THE CHAMB OUTER MARKER. THE PLT DID NOT DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. STORED RADAR INFORMATION SHOWED RECEIVING TRANSPONDER INFORMATION UNTIL THE FIRST COAST TARGET. DISASSEMBLY OF THE GYRO HORIZON & DIRECTIONAL GYRO REVEALED HEAVY ROTATIONAL DAMAGE. WHEN THE PLT DEPARTED THE WX WAS 300 FT OVERCAST WITH 3 MI IN FOG & HAZE. THE PLT WAS NOT ADVISED OF THE LATEST REPORTED WX. THE PLT NOTED ONLY 4 INSTRUMENT APPROACHES IN HIS LOG BOOK IN 1982, ALL ON 3/8/82 DURING AN IFR RECURRENCY TRAINING FLT. THE CFI LATER REPORTED THAT HE DID NOT FEEL THAT THE PLT WAS SUFFICIENTLY COMPETENT ON THAT FLT TO BE ENDORSED FOR AN INSTRUMENT COMPETENCY CHECK. THE PLT WAS RUSTY ON INSTRUMENTS & HAD DIFFICULTY ON THE INSTRUMENT APPROACHES.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 742 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 651 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,165 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1D5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Dutchman Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: C Chamblee GA at 8:28 am
- Destination: C Anderson SC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 20, 5,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 160°F (71°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 am from PDK, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ATL82FA196.