Cessna P210 accident near Ball Ground, Georgia, November 7, 2024
On November 7, 2024 at about 5:53 pm local time, a 1982 Cessna P210, registered N6444W, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Ball Ground, Georgia (Cherokee County Rgnl airport). It was an instructional 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 pilot and the flight instructor’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during a simulated loss of engine power during takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion, and collision with a taxiway sign.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 7, 2024 · about 5:53 pm local time
- Place
- Ball Ground, Georgia · Cherokee County Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna P210 N, built 1982 · all P210s on the register
- Registration
- N6444W · registry record · serial P210-00781
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While practicing emergency procedures on a recurrent instructional flight, the pilot receiving instruction and the flight instructor completed several takeoffs and circuits around the airport traffic pattern where the pilot demonstrated various emergency procedures. During a subsequent takeoff, the flight instructor simulated a loss of engine power at an altitude of about 50 feet above the ground. As the airplane began to slow, the pilot receiving instruction pulled back on the control yoke to flare. Around this time, the flight instructor attempted to take control of the airplane after stating, “I have the aircraft,” and then tried to decrease the airplane’s pitch attitude, but the pilot receiving instruction was still trying to pull back on the controls, which ultimately resulted in hard landing and subsequent bounce. After the airplane bounced back into the air, the pilot receiving instruction added partial power to ease the second bounce while the flight instructor assumed the control of the airplane and added full power. The airplane then departed the right side of the runway while the flight instructor attempted to avoid an aerodynamic stall. The airplane touched down in the grass on the right side of the runway and bounced again while still at full power, striking a taxiway sign, and resulting in substantial damage to the right side of the empennage, the bottom of the right horizontal stabilizer, and separating the nose wheel from the nose landing gear. The airplane remained in ground effect at low speed while both the flight instructor and the pilot provided control inputs. The pilot then reassumed control of the airplane and maneuvered the airplane back onto the runway where it came to rest. The pilot and the flight instructor both reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Simulated/training event during takeoff
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control in flight during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,733 hours in all; 192.7 in this make and model; 23.9 in the last 90 days; 13.6 in the last 30 days; 2,654.8 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 13, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: airship
- Flight time: 5,894 hours in all; 621 in this make and model; 105 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 3,885 as pilot in command; 711 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 25, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,711 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 14, 2023; 164 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental Motors IO-550-P5B (piston); 1,426 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05/2, 5,003 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,300 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 12:35 pm from CNI
Weather report (METAR): KCNI 071735Z AUTO 14007KT 100V170 10SM OVC023 24/18 A3018 RMK AO2 T02380183
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 4 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Airplane, postaccident
Photograph 2 – Right side tail and horizontal stabilizer accident damage
Photograph 3 – Right side tail accident damage
Photograph 4 – bottom right horizontal stabilizer accident damageThe 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 June 13, 2025. 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 - Pilot | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 - Flight Instructor | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 5 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview with Pilot and Pilot's Statement | PDF, 15 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Flight Instructor Statement | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.
