Boeing PT-17 accident near Chamblee, Georgia, March 19, 1994
On March 19, 1994 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Boeing PT-17, registered N57TH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chamblee, Georgia (Peachtree Dekalb Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO COMPENSATE FOR THE WIND CONDITION DURING LANDING. A FACTOR IS A TAILWIND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 19, 1994 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Chamblee, Georgia · Peachtree Dekalb Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing PT-17 · all PT-17s on the register
- Registration
- N57TH · registry record · serial 75-4240
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AFTER TOUCHDOWN. THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY AND COLLAPSED THE MAIN LANDING GEAR. THE APPROACH AND THE TOUCHDOWN WERE MADE WITH A QUARTERING TAIL WIND. THE LANDING RUNWAY WAS RUNWAY 02, AND THE REPORTED WINDS WERE 250 DEDREES AT 10 KNOTS. NO AIRCRAFT MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WERE REPORTED BY THE PILOT.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 30 in the last 30 days; 7,000 as pilot in command; 6,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,000 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 20, 1993; 24 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 2L, 3,736 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:15 pm from PDK
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.
Other NTSB records under N57TH the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 ATL94LA066.