Cessna 182R accident near Lake City, Tennessee, August 10, 2002
On August 10, 2002 at about 8:20 pm local time, a Cessna 182R, registered N9307X, was destroyed in an accident near Lake City, Tennessee. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to follow procedures pertaining to mountain flying, and the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed that resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent in-flight collision with trees and terrain. A factor was the certified flight instructor inadequate supervision of the training flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 2002 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Lake City, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182R · all 182Rs on the register
- Registration
- N9307X · registry record · serial 18268482
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting a mountain flying instructional flight with a certified flight instructor practicing steep turns and emergency course reversal in a canyon after attending a mountain flying course in the morning. The airplane was observed by two witnesses flying at a very low altitude above the trees. The airplane made about five steep left turns, at about a 45-degree angle of bank. The airplane flew back over the witnesses's location and back into the valley. The airplane was observed to start another steep turn to the left and disappeared from view behind the trees. Witnesses heard an increase in engine power followed by the sound of an airplane colliding with trees. Examination of the airplane, flight controls, and engine assembly revealed no anomalies.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,545 hours in all; 10,516 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 30, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Pilot (unmanned)
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,600 hours in all
- Last flight review: November 3, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,135 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 15, 2002; 73 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,110 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JAU Jacksboro TN at 5:15 pm
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from TYS, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ATL02FA156.