Cessna 172 accident near Crossville, Tennessee, June 3, 2005
On June 3, 2005 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N1202V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Crossville, Tennessee. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's continued VFR flight into IMC conditions which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees. A related factor was the clouds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 3, 2005 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Crossville, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N1202V · no longer on the register · serial R1722138
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, when he departed his departure airport for his short cross-country flight he requested to fly visual flight rules on top due to the low visibility. Upon arriving at the destination airport, the pilot discovered that there was a cloud layer over the airport. He looked for an opening in the clouds so that he could begin his descent. During the descent through the clouds the pilot encountered instrument meteorological conditions. As the flight descended through the clouds, the airplane collided with the ground. The pilot did not report any flight control or mechanical anomalies prior to the accident. The nearest weather reporting facility Crossville Memorial Airport reported: scattered clouds at 1000 feet, overcast at 1700 feet, and seven miles visibility.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 900 hours in all; 900 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SCX Oneida TN at 7:00 pm
- Destination: MNV Madisonville TN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,700 ft; scat at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 7:30 pm from CSV, 38 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.