Cessna 441 accident near Gainesville, Georgia, August 10, 1992
On August 10, 1992 at about 9:50 pm local time, a Cessna 441, registered N920C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gainesville, Georgia (Lee Gilmer Memorial airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE POOR INFLIGHT DECISION BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND IN THAT AFTER A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER, HE SHUT DOWN THE WRONG ENGINE, DID NOT FOLLOW THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST, DID NOT RAISE THE FLAPS, AND DID NOT RETRACT THE LANDING GEAR. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE INFLIGHT COLLISION WITH BIRDS DURING THE TAKEOFF CLIMB.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 1992 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Gainesville, Georgia · Lee Gilmer Memorial
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 441 · all 441s on the register
- Registration
- N920C · registry record · serial 441-0020
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKEOFF, HE HAD A COLLISION WITH A FLIGHT OF BIRDS. HE STATED THAT THE RIGHT ENGINE IMMEDIATELY HAD A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER. HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT ATTEMPT TO RAISE THE LANDING GEAR NOR THE FLAPS FOLLOWING THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, AND THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT ENGINES REVEALED THAT THERE WAS ROTATIONAL SCRATCHING OF THE TURBINE HOUSINGS ON THE RIGHT ENGINE, AND NO ROTATIONAL SCRATCHING ON THE TURBINE HOUSING OF THE LEFT ENGINE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: balloon
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 305 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 7,500 as pilot in command; 3,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 9,925 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Travel Services, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: GVL at 9:48 pm
- Destination: BNA Nashville TN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 29, 4,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from AHN, 32 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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 ATL92LA156.