Mooney M20J accident near Suches, Georgia, July 21, 1989
On July 21, 1989 at about 2:16 pm local time, a Mooney M20J, registered N205AG, was destroyed in an accident near Suches, Georgia (Blairsville airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE FLIGHT TO THE INTENDED DESTINATION DISREGARDING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE IN FLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFER. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR(S) WAS: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT EXISTED AT THE TIME.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 1989 · about 2:16 pm local time
- Place
- Suches, Georgia · Blairsville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N205AG · registry record · serial 24-3016
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ONE OF THE TWO NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOTS IN THE AIRPLANE OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEFING FROM THE ATLANTA FSS BY RADIO WHEN THEY WERE 20 MILES FROM THEIR DESTINATION. THE PILOT ADVISED THAT THEY WERE IN CLOUD COVER AND WOULD 'LIKE TO KNOW A PLACE WHERE WE CAN BREAK THROUGH THE CLOUDS.' THE BRIEFER ADVISED THAT SHE WOULD 'NOT RECOMMEND VFR IN THIS AREA AT ALL.' THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THEIR DESTINATION ON THE SOUTH SLOPE OF A MOUNTAIN, ABOUT 400-600 FEET BELOW THE TOP OF THE RIDGELINE. THE AIRPLANE HAD IMPACTED THE TREES AND TERRAIN IN NEAR-LEVEL FLIGHT. PILOT AT CONTROLS PRESUMED.
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: 2,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 307 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 22, 1988; 96 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Live Oak FL at 12:30 pm
- Destination: 46A Blairsville GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from MGE, 58 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
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 ATL89FA190.