Beech C23 accident near Athens, Georgia, April 19, 1997
On April 19, 1997 at about 5:27 am local time, a Beech C23, registered N6005T, was destroyed in an accident near Athens, Georgia. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
pilot impairment of judgment and performance, due to alcohol; and his failure to maintain sufficient altitude or clearance from obstacles, while maneuvering at low altitude at night. Darkness was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 1997 · about 5:27 am local time
- Place
- Athens, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C23 · all C23s on the register
- Registration
- N6005T · registry record · serial M-2120
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
An eyewitness near the accident site reported that an airplane was flying low over the city minutes before the accident. Another witness heard the sound of the engine, followed by the crashing sound of the airplane as it collided with trees and a house. According to the owner, at 2100, he parked the airplane (N6005T) on the ramp in front of the maintenance facility. The following morning, the owner arrived at the maintenance facility, and could not find his airplane. After learning of an aircraft accident in a nearby city, the owner traveled to the accident site and discovered that the accident airplane was his. Examination of the airframe failed to disclose a mechanical malfunction or a subsystem failure. Toxicology tests of the pilot revealed a blood/alcohol level of 180 mg/dl (0.180%) and an alcohol level of 245 mg/dl (0.245%) in vitreous fluid. The owner of the airplane stated that the keys for N6005T were still in his possession. The keys recovered from the ignition switch of N6005T showed an 'N' number of 6623P.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,400 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,349 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 17, 1997; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4K (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 19A Jefferson GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 am from AHN, 300 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 ATL97FA060.