Cessna 140 accident near Woodstock, Georgia, June 9, 1999
On June 9, 1999, a Cessna 140, registered N76390, was substantially damaged in an accident near Woodstock, Georgia (Air Acres airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation because of contaminated fuel, resulting in a forced landing and subsequent impact with a tree.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 1999 · cases in 1999
- Place
- Woodstock, Georgia · Air Acres · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N76390 · no longer on the register · serial 10811
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After takeoff the airplane's engine began to sputter, at an altitude of about 200 feet above the ground (agl), and corrective action by the pilot did not clear the problem. He elected to land in trees instead of straight ahead to avoid hitting wires. The pilot stated that the airplane 'had not flown in a week,' and during the preflight inspection of the airplane he drained the fuel tanks and said, '...some very small bits of junk ( about 3-4 < pin head size) were observed in [the] right tank containing 87 octane fuel. He drained about 1 1/2 pints until fuel ran clear. [The] engine was started on left tank (100 LL) which was full. Right tank noted 1/4 full....' The FAA inspector that examined the wreckage concluded that, '...after review of the aircraft records and extensive conversation with the pilot, it appeared that the aircraft...suffered some fuel contamination seeing how aircraft had been stored for awhile....'
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: 720 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 630 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,580 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 25, 1999; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5GA4
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from FTY
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N76390: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Cessna 140 1,839 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,685 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental C-85-12 82 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Air Acres Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Georgia 2,138 since 1982 · 361 in the last ten years
- Georgia 8,807 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/MIA99LA169.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.