Cessna 337G accident near Blairsville, Georgia, January 17, 1986
On January 17, 1986 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 337G, registered N53615, was destroyed in an accident near Blairsville, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 5 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 17, 1986 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Blairsville, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 337G · all 337Gs on the register
- Registration
- N53615 · no longer on the register · serial 33701739
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACFT WAS FLOWN VFR FROM RAVENNA, OHIO EN ROUTE TO ATLANTA, GA. IT DEPARTED RAVENNA ABOUT 0930 01/17 & FAILED TO ARRIVE AT ITS DESTINATION. FAMILY REPORTED ACFT MISSING. AIR FORCE RESCUE CENTER NOTIFIED AT 2020 01/19. CAP COMMENCED AIR SEARCH 01/20, HAMPERED BY LOW CLOUDS IN MOUNTAINS. ACFT LOCATED BY CAP ACFT AT 1007 01/21. AT ASSUMED TIME OF MISHAP MOUNTAINS WERE OBSCURED BY CLOUDS. PILOT REPORTED OVER SOLID CLOUDS ABOUT 30 MILES NORTH OF ACCIDENT SITE. ACFT STRUCK 3200 FOOT LEVEL OF 3600 FOOT MOUNTAIN IN LEVEL FLIGHT.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 471 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 474 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 72 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,630 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-360G (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Capital Control, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: 29G Ravenna OH at 2:30 pm
- Destination: PDK Chamblee GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:52 pm from PDK, 60 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.