Aircraft Mfg & Development CO CH 2000 accident near Atlanta, Georgia, January 5, 2017
On January 5, 2017 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 2002 Aircraft Mfg & Development CO CH 2000, registered N683AM, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Atlanta, Georgia (Cobb County International Airp airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while attempting a short-field takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 5, 2017 · about 10:00 pm local time · cases in 2017
- Place
- Atlanta, Georgia · Cobb County International Airp · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aircraft Mfg & Development CO CH 2000 UNDESIGNAT, built 2002 · all CH 2000s on the register
- Registration
- N683AM · registry record · serial 20-1006
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot attempted a short-field takeoff procedure, and air traffic control tower personnel observed the airplane about 200 ft above ground level about 900 ft from the beginning of the runway. The airplane then drifted left, descended, and impacted trees. Although the pilot subsequently reported a loss of engine power and climb performance, a test run of the engine following the accident revealed no anomalies. The pilot had an approximate 5-year gap in flying experience and had not completed a flight review, although he reported about 21 hours of flight experience in the 90 days preceding the accident. He reported a total flight experience of 143.3 hours, of which 59 hours were in the accident airplane make and model. It is likely that the pilot exceeded the airplane's critical angle of attack while attempting a short-field takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at an altitude too low to recover.
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
What happened, in order
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 143 hours in all; 59 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,586 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2016; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,692 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-N2C (piston); 1,586 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RYY Atlanta GA at 10:00 pm
- Destination: RYY Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 6,295 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 9:47 pm from RYY, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on May 23, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Correspondence from Pilot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Interview Summaries | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Weather Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N683AM on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Aircraft Mfg & Development Co CH 2000 38 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-N2C 18 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Cobb County Intl/Mccollum Field · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Georgia 2,138 since 1982 · 361 in the last ten years
- Georgia 8,800 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA17LA078.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.