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).
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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 1997 · about 5:27 am local time · cases in 1997
- 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 |
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N6005T on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Beechcraft C23 Sundowner 456 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Beechcraft 6 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4K 44 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Georgia 2,138 since 1982 · 361 in the last ten years
- Georgia 8,801 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ATL97FA060.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.