Cessna 172N accident near Dover, Tennessee, June 12, 2004
On June 12, 2004 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N5153E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dover, Tennessee (Short Creek airport). It was an instructional 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 certified flight instructor initiated flight into thunderstorm activity that resulted in a loss of control and the subsequent collision with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 12, 2004 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Dover, Tennessee · Short Creek · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N5153E · no longer on the register · serial 17271739
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certified flight instructor (CFI) was conducting an instructional flight and landed at the intermediate stop with out incident. Prior to departing on the return flight, the CFI checked internet weather, and observed "bad weather" approaching the departure airport. He and the student pilot departed from runway 25 performing a soft field take off. Immediately after rotation the CFI leveled the airplane to increase airspeed. The CFI stated, "this took longer than usual due to wind shear." The airplane reached 60 knots and they were between 25 to 50 feet on initial take off climb, when they encountered a "severe cross wind gust of an estimated 40 to 50 knots from the right putting the wings in a near vertical attitude." The CFI applied rudder and aileron, and the airplane collided with the trees and the ground. Another pilot who landed at the airport before the accident airplane departed stated, black clouds were visible in the distance and there were thunderstorms in the area.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,144 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 194 in the last 90 days; 68 in the last 30 days; 2,005 as pilot in command; 1,780 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 31, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 30 hours in all; 27 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 2 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,707 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 9, 2004; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8TN7 Dover TN at 6:59 pm
- Destination: M91 Springfield TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 2,500 ft by 30 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 13 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; scat at 3,700 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 6:52 pm from CKV, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.