Cessna 172R accident near Huntingdon, Tennessee, December 2, 2017
On December 2, 2017 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1997 Cessna 172R, registered N9730F, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Huntingdon, Tennessee (Carroll County 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 visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because a postaccident engine examination and testing revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 2, 2017 · about 7:30 pm local time · cases in 2017
- Place
- Huntingdon, Tennessee · Carroll County · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R R, built 1997 · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N9730F · registry record · serial 17280032
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff and during the initial climb, about midfield of the departure runway, the engine lost total power. Unable to land on the remaining runway, he executed a 90° left turn and selected a grass field as an off-airport landing site. During the forced landing, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. A postaccident examination and engine test run revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 129.1 hours in all; 118.6 in this make and model; 15.1 in the last 90 days; 98.9 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 19, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,822 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 5, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO360 SER A&C (piston); 3,822 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HZD Huntingdon TN at 7:30 pm
- Destination: HZD Huntingdon TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 5,507 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 pm from KHZD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on December 26, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N9730F on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,680 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,684 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming IO360 SER A&C 8,559 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Sgt Lee Russell Carroll County · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Tennessee 1,196 since 1982 · 229 in the last ten years
- Tennessee 6,522 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ANC18LA013.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.