Beech A23 accident near Blairsville, Georgia, August 19, 2001
On August 19, 2001 at about 6:43 pm local time, a Beech A23, registered N8869M, was destroyed in an accident near Blairsville, Georgia (Blairsville Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed resulting in an inadvertent stall an subsequent in-flight collision with trees then the ground during the uncontrolled descent.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 2001 · about 6:43 pm local time
- Place
- Blairsville, Georgia · Blairsville Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech A23 · all A23s on the register
- Registration
- N8869M · no longer on the register · serial M611
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The fuel tanks were filled just before takeoff; there were no known witnesses who observed the takeoff roll. According to a witness near where the airplane crashed, the airplane was flying at a low altitude and banked to the left. He thought the airplane was going to hit his house; the engine appeared to him to be running at a low power setting and was also noted to be running rough. He heard what he reported was a sound he associated with a "bush hog", then heard the impact and called 911. The airplane came to rest on the ground inverted; there was no swath through the trees indicating a gradual descent. All components necessary to sustain flight were in the immediate vicinity of the crash site; there was no evidence of post crash fire. Examination of the flight controls revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. Examination of an approximate 10-inch diameter felled tree at the accident site revealed evidence of 2 propeller strikes; one of the cuts in the tree exhibited black paint transfer. The first strike was only approximately 1.25 inches deep into the tree and the second was approximately 4 inches deep into the tree. Examination of the propeller which had the propeller blades painted black on the aft side revealed one propeller blade was bent slightly forward. The second propeller blade exhibited leading edge twisting towards low pitch, was bent aft approximately 30-degrees, the tip was bent forward, and slight chordwise scratches were noted from the tip inboard approximately 21 inches. Examination of the engine revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. Bench testing of the fuel system components revealed no evidence of preimpact failure. The runway used by the pilot is up sloping approximately 1.5 percent. Performance calculations from the takeoff distance chart indicated that based on a weather observation at a nearby airport, the distance to clear a 50-foot obstacle was 2,616 feet. The performance chart is for a paved level runway; there is no note describing what distance to add for an up sloping runway.
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
- Flight time: 101 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 55 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 21, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 14, 2001; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-346-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 46A Blairsville GA at 6:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 3,800 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KGVL, 36 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.