Cessna 210C accident near Dawsonville, Georgia, August 8, 1995
On August 8, 1995 at about 7:37 pm local time, a Cessna 210C, registered N3698Y, was destroyed in an accident near Dawsonville, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S DISREGARD OF THE WEATHER FORECAST AND FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER (INSTRUMENT FLIGHT CONDITIONS), RESULTING IN AN IN-FLIGHT COLLISION WHILE MANEUVERING IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S LACK OF RECENT FLYING IN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 1995 · about 7:37 pm local time
- Place
- Dawsonville, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210C · all 210Cs on the register
- Registration
- N3698Y · no longer on the register · serial 21058198
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT DEPARTED VFR AND LANDED AT AN INTERMEDIATE AIRPORT TO CHECK ON THE WEATHER CONDITIONS ALONG HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT. A WEATHER BRIEFING WAS OBTAINED FROM A FLIGHT SERVICE STATION. THE PILOT WAS ADVISED OF A STATIONARY FRONT, AND MARGINAL VFR TO IFR CONDITIONS ALONG HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT. THE PILOT DEPARTED VFR. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING IN A DESCENDING RIGHT TURN. IFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED 11 DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT'S LOGBOOK WAS NOT FOUND BUT FRIENDS OF HIS REPORTED THAT HE 'HAD INDICATED VERBALLY, SEVERAL TIMES, THAT HE HAD NOT FLOWN ON INSTRUMENTS IN IMC FOR OVER 20 YEARS.'
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470S (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ROA Roanoke VA at 5:25 pm
- Destination: NEW New Orleans LA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 900 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from PDK, 32 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.