Cessna 172K accident near Stone Mountain, Georgia, March 15, 1986
On March 15, 1986 at about 5:10 am local time, a Cessna 172K, registered N7374G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Stone Mountain, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
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
- March 15, 1986 · about 5:10 am local time
- Place
- Stone Mountain, Georgia
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172K · all 172Ks on the register
- Registration
- N7374G · no longer on the register · serial 17259074
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKING OFF AT NGT, THE PLT ENCOUNTERED LOW VISIBILITY (VIS) IN FOG. HE ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT FOR LNDG, BUT THE ACFT CRASHED IN A WOODED AREA APRX 3/4 MI FROM THE ARPT. A CHECK OF THE PLT'S BLOOD SHOWED AN ALCOHOL LVL OF 0.17 GRAMS PERCENT (0.17%). WITNESS INFO INDCD THE PREVAILING WX WAS ABOUT 3000 FT SCATTERED, VIS 1-1/2 MI WITH FOG.
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
- Flight time: 112 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OOA Stone Mountain GA at 5:05 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 2,500 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.