Beech 33 accident near Carrollton, Georgia, April 29, 1997
On April 29, 1997 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Beech 33, registered N5863S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Carrollton, Georgia (West Georgia Regional 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 inadequate maintenance inspection of the airplane that resulted in the disconnection of the propeller governor linkage and the subsequent reduction in engine power. The pilot also failed to maintain flying speed that resulted in an inadvertent stall during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 29, 1997 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Carrollton, Georgia · West Georgia Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 33
- Registration
- N5863S · registry record · serial CD830
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instrument flight was cleared to a cruise altitude of 6000 feet. A few minutes into the flight, the pilot experienced a reduction in engine power. He declared an emergency and attempted to restore the engine to full operating power. The pilot said he increased the fuel mixture lever to full rich, turned on the fuel system boost pump, but could not restore full engine power. After completing the emergency procedures, the pilot was instructed, by air traffic control, to turn to a 125 degree magnetic heading for vectors to the nearest airport. After descending below the clouds, the pilot established a final approach for the emergency landing. As he flared for the touchdown on the runway, the pilot recalled that the aircraft stall warning horn was blaring. The pilot also stated that the flight controls were barely responsive as the left wing collided with the ground. The examination of the engine assembly disclosed that the propeller pitch control arm, at the propeller governor, had separated from the propeller governor. A review of service data disclosed that a service bulletin had been issued to prevent the separation of the governor control arm from the assembly. This service bulletin had not been accomplished on the accident airplane. The governor control arm separation occurred four flight hours after the last annual inspection.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 847 hours in all; 453 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 847 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,655 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 5, 1997; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,050 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-8A8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KFTY Atlanta GA at 2:45 pm
- Destination: KDTS Destin FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 16, 5,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Observation at 4:56 pm from ATL, 30 miles away
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.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.