Cessna 414A accident near Guyton, Georgia, December 29, 1997
On December 29, 1997 at about 1:45 pm local time, a Cessna 414A, registered N414MT, was destroyed in an accident near Guyton, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Inadequate maintenance of the cabin pressurization system, which resulted in inadequate pressurization and incapacitation of the pilot due to the hypoxia. Also causal was the pilot's failure to adequately monitor the cabin pressurization system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 29, 1997 · about 1:45 pm local time
- Place
- Guyton, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 414A · all 414As on the register
- Registration
- N414MT · no longer on the register · serial 414A-0205
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
About 26 minutes after takeoff while at 21500 feet, the pilot requested a non existent route. Seven minutes later, the passenger stated the pilot was light headed and fading then he had passed out. The passenger had once held a student pilot certificate and about 5 years earlier she had accrued 73 hours of flight time in Cessna 150/152 aircraft. The air traffic controller, and other pilots on the radio frequency tried to assist the passenger. The passenger was advised to provide oxygen for herself and the pilot, but she was unable. The airplane climbed to 34,200 feet where the airplane departed controlled flight, recovered, then departed controlled flight several more times before beginning a nose low descent. Witnesses reported hearing the airplane orbiting several times while flying above a cloud layer then observed the airplane orbiting beneath the clouds. While in a descending right wing low attitude, the airplane impacted the ground and came to rest submerged in a pond. Examination of the flight controls, engines, and propellers revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. A discrepancy with the regulating valve was noted. Two small holes were noted in the cabin door seal. The left wing pressurization duct had been replaced about 8 years earlier but the right wing pressurization duct, had not been replaced. The ducts are on-condition components. There was no preimpact failure or malfunction noted with the barometric pressure switch, the cabin altitude annunciator bulbs, the safety valve, solenoid valve, or differential pressure/cabin altitude gauge. Testing for carbonmonoxide for both was negative.
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: 1,545 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 3,996 as pilot in command; 46 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,872 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 19, 1997; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,087 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-NB (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ORL Orlando FL at 12:23 pm
- Destination: SSU White Sulphur WV
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,900 ft; scat at 500 ft
- Temperature: 109°F (43°C), dew point 106°F (41°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 pm from SAV, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N414MT the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.