Cessna TU206B accident near Jasper, Georgia, November 8, 1996
On November 8, 1996 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna TU206B, registered N4970F, was destroyed in an accident near Jasper, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
continued flight by the pilot into adverse weather conditions, and his failure to maintain sufficient altitude or clearance from rising/mountainous terrain. The adverse weather and terrain conditions were related factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 8, 1996 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Jasper, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna TU206B · all TU206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N4970F · no longer on the register · serial TU206-0670
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot called an Automated Flight Service Station by telephone, & requested & received weather for his route of flight & destination airport. The specialist advised the pilot of occasional moderate turbulence, occasional moderate rime & mixed icing; in addition, the pilot was advised of a line of thunderstorms along his intended route of flight. A witness traveling in her automobile saw the airplane before the accident. She said she heard a low flying plane & saw it '...coming towards our vehicle in a descending motion. She said the plane then made a left turn toward mountains on the other side of the road. Also, she said the weather was '...cloudy, big fluffy clouds dark, for a storm was coming in but was not raining at the time. We later ran into a real bad storm....' A witnesses located about 2 miles east of the crash site said that he observed 'overcast conditions' at his residence about 1800 with 'snow, small flakes, and cold temperature.' He further stated there were 'snow showers off and on for several hours that evening.' The airplane impacted in a heavily wooded area, in rising terrain, that sloped up about 19 degrees. It was found by search personnel on 11/12/97. No discrepancies were found with either the airframe or the engine.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,250 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,622 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 11, 1996; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,025 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MKL Jackson TN at 9:16 pm
- Destination: 19A Jefferson GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 250° at 4 knots
- Sky: overcast; not recorded
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:47 pm from PDK, 50 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.