Dassault FALCON 900B accident near Chamblee, Georgia, March 26, 1997
On March 26, 1997 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Dassault FALCON 900B, registered N332MC, was involved in an accident near Chamblee, Georgia. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an encounter with clear air turbulence, which led to injury of the flight attendant. A factor associated with the accident was: that the flight attendant was not being restrained by a seat belt.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 26, 1997 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Chamblee, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dassault FALCON 900B FALCON 900 · all FALCON 900Bs on the register
- Registration
- N332MC · registry record · serial 078
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
As the airplane was cruising at 31,000 feet, light turbulence was encountered. The flight was cleared to descend in preparation for landing at the destination airport. Passing through 30,000 feet, the airplane encountered moderate turbulence. As the airplane descended through 27,000 feet, there was a sudden drop of about 10 to 15 feet, which resulted in the flight attendant falling to the floor in the aft lavatory. Her fall resulted in a broken ankle.
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; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,494 hours in all; 4,240 in this make and model; 149 in the last 90 days; 38 in the last 30 days; 9,141 as pilot in command; 1,600 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,390 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 1, 1997; 103 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 46,700 lb
- Seats: 15
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TFE-731-5BR-1 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mci Systemhouse CORP.
The flight
- Departed from: IAD Washington DC at 3:55 pm
- Destination: PDK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 2 |
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 ATL97LA055.