Dassault-Breguet FALCON 20 accident near Cartersville, Georgia, June 29, 1989
On June 29, 1989 at about 4:04 am local time, a Dassault-Breguet FALCON 20, registered N125CA, was destroyed in an accident near Cartersville, Georgia (Cartersville airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC) TO ASSURE THAT THE AIRCRAFT MAINTAINED A CLIMB PROFILE AFTER TAKEOFF. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARK NIGHT, THE CREW'S LACK OF VISUAL PERCEPTION AT NIGHT, THE PIC'S LACK OF REST (FATIGUE), AND THE COPILOT'S FAILURE TO ATTAIN REMEDIAL ACTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 1989 · about 4:04 am local time
- Place
- Cartersville, Georgia · Cartersville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dassault-Breguet FALCON 20 · all FALCON 20s on the register
- Registration
- N125CA · registry record · serial 208
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CREW ARRIVED AT THE ARPT ABOUT 20 MIN BEFORE THE PLANNED MIDNIGHT TAKEOFF TIME, AFTER THE PLT-IN-COMMAND HAD SPENT THE DAY MOVING FURNITURE. A NGT WATCHMAN NOTED THAT THE PREFLT INSPN & TAKEOFF ROLL TO ROTATION/LIFT-OFF WAS NORMAL. THERE WAS NO POST-TAKEOFF RADIO CALL TO EITHER UNICOM OR ATC, ATHOUGH THE CREW HAD FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN. AFTER TAKING OFF FROM RWY 36, THE ACFT CRASHED ABOUT 1.8 MI NORTH OF THE RWY. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND AFTER INTERRUPTIONOF ELECTRICAL POWER TO A NEARBY CITY. INITIAL IMPACT WAS WITH TREES, WHILE IN A SHALLOW/LEFT/DESCENDING TURN. AN AREA OF TREES ABOUT 1/2 MI LONG WAS DAMAGED BY IMPACT & FIRE. BEFORE COMING TO REST, THE ACFT HIT A POWERLINE SUPPORT TOWER. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE ACFT WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 260 KTS, WHEN IT CRASHED. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE ACDNT.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,940 hours in all; 770 in this make and model; 196 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 5,820 as pilot in command; 300 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,547 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, April 1, 1989; 164 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 28,660 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Ge CF700-2D2 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 6A0 at 4:04 am
- Destination: MGM Montgomery AL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 36, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 am from FTY, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 ATL89FA171.