Cartersville Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Cartersville, Georgia 30120
Thursday, June 29, 1989 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE CREW ARRIVED AT THE ARPT ABOUT 20 MIN BEFORE THE PLANNED MIDNIGHT TAKEOFF TIME, AFTER THE PLT-IN-COMMAND HAD SPENT THE DAY MOVING FURNITURE. A NGT WATCHMAN NOTED THAT THE PREFLT INSPN & TAKEOFF ROLL TO ROTATION/LIFT-OFF WAS NORMAL. THERE WAS NO POST-TAKEOFF RADIO CALL TO EITHER UNICOM OR ATC, ATHOUGH THE CREW HAD FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN. AFTER TAKING OFF FROM RWY 36, THE ACFT CRASHED ABOUT 1.8 MI NORTH OF THE RWY. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND AFTER INTERRUPTIONOF ELECTRICAL POWER TO A NEARBY CITY. INITIAL IMPACT WAS WITH TREES, WHILE IN A SHALLOW/LEFT/DESCENDING TURN. AN AREA OF TREES ABOUT 1/2 MI LONG WAS DAMAGED BY IMPACT & FIRE. BEFORE COMING TO REST, THE ACFT HIT A POWERLINE SUPPORT TOWER. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE ACFT WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 260 KTS, WHEN IT CRASHED. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE ACDNT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC) TO ASSURE THAT THE AIRCRAFT MAINTAINED A CLIMB PROFILE AFTER TAKEOFF. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARK NIGHT, THE CREW'S LACK OF VISUAL PERCEPTION AT NIGHT, THE PIC'S LACK OF REST (FATIGUE), AND THE COPILOT'S FAILURE TO ATTAIN REMEDIAL ACTION.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/29/1989
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 4
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City CARTERSVILLE
Event State GEORGIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 30120
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport CARTERSVILLE
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 6A0
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 2
Degrees magnetic from airport 359
Airport Elevation 753
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2350 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 130
Weather Observation Facility ID FTY
Elevation of weather observation facility 841
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 20
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 8000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 2
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 22
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 22
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 240
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 1800
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
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) 1656
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 29 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 110
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 40561
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:45PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N125CA
NTSB Number ATL89FA171
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name DASSAULT-BREGUET
Aircraft Model FALCON 20
Aircraft Series Identifier FALCON 20
Aircraft Serial Number 208
Certified Max Gross Weight 28660
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 2
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection AAIP
Date of Last Inspection Apr 1 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 164
Airframe Hours 13547
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name PHOENIX AIR GROUP, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 3645 OAK LANE
Aircraft Owner City MARIETTA
Aircraft Owner State GA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 30062
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 PHXA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
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) Positioning
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code 6A0
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 4
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code MGM
Destination City MONTGOMERY
Destination State AL
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Takeoff
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 36
Runway Length 5000
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --