Cherokee County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Canton, Georgia 30114
Tuesady, December 5, 1995 18:17 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The noninstrument-rated private pilot called the Macon AFSS and obtained a preflight weather briefing for a visual rules flight from Brunswick, Ga., to Canton, Ga., and was advised that IFR conditions existed throughout the area of his destination. Witnesses first observed the airplane approach the Canton airport from the southeast, at a low altitude. The airplane then made a right turn over the airport, and proceeded in a southeasterly direction at low altitude until impacting the terrain about one mile southeast of the airport. A witness stated that the weather at the time of the accident was 1/4 mile visibility in fog and light rain, with an overcast ceiling at 300 feet. Other pilots, based at the same airport as the pilot, reported that the pilot's attitude toward flying was haphazard, and that he had little regard toward safety. An FAA Flight Surgeon reported that the substances found during the toxicological examination of the pilot would have caused sedation, drowsiness, disorientation, and that his judgment would have been impaired.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's impairment of judgement and performance due to drugs which led to his overconfidence of personal ability and continued flight into known adverse weather conditions. The weather conditions and dark night were factors.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/5/1995
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1817
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City CANTON
Event State GEORGIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 30114
Event Date Year 1995
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport CHEROKEE COUNTY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 47A
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 220
Airport Elevation 1219
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1753 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 150
Weather Observation Facility ID PDK
Elevation of weather observation facility 1002
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 40
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 1000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 1000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Overcast
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 3
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 12
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 11
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 40
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Light
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1867
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Dec 5 1995 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1900
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 7 2000 4:48PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N96Q
NTSB Number ATL96FA018
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Navion
Aircraft Model D
Aircraft Series Identifier D
Aircraft Serial Number NAV-4-328D
Certified Max Gross Weight 2850
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jan 11 1995 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name JERRY W. FOUTS
Aircraft Owner Street Address 102B HILLTOP DR.
Aircraft Owner City CANTON
Aircraft Owner State GA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 30114
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code 09J
Departure City JEKYLL ISLAND
Departure State GA
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code 47A
Destination City
Destination State GA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 4
Runway Length 3400
Runway Width 50
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --