Cessna 172M accident near Clinton, Tennessee, April 30, 2000
On April 30, 2000 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N13330, was substantially damaged in an accident near Clinton, Tennessee (Mullins Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning necessitating an intentional ground loop maneuver on landing. Contributing factors were the pilot's misjudgment of distance/airspeed, the high terrain surrounding the runway, and the tailwind condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 30, 2000 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Clinton, Tennessee · Mullins Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N13330 · registry record · serial 172-62674
- 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 he was returning to the 1300-foot sod airstrip after refueling at a nearby airport. According to the pilot, he maintained a final approach airspeed of 80 to 85 knots. After completing the before landing checklist, which included lowering wing flaps and applying carburetor heat, the pilot realized that the landing approach had a tailwind component. The pilot reported that as he continued the approach, the airspeed was too high and he did not feel that the airplane had sufficient engine power to clear the lake and higher terrain beyond the end of the runway. He elected to land long on the runway and ground looped the airplane to avoid an embankment and a lake on the departure end of the runway. An eyewitness stated that the airplane was fast and long over the runway for the landing. Examination of the accident site showed that the airplane had rotated 180 degrees on the ground and was facing the opposite landing direction. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the airplane.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 426 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 248 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,481 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 28, 2000; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 1,300 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:20 pm from TYS, 30 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL00LA052.