Cessna C172F accident near Sparta, Tennessee, September 30, 2005
On September 30, 2005 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Cessna C172F, registered N8513U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sparta, Tennessee. 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
The pilot's delay in applying carburetor heat that resulted in the loss of engine power due to carburetor ice.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 2005 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Sparta, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna C172F
- Registration
- N8513U · no longer on the register · serial 17252413
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was about 43 minutes into a cross country flight when the engine began to sputter and lost power. The pilot's attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful and he chose to make a forced landing to a nearby field. During the approach to land, the left wing struck a tree and the airplane collided with the ground and burst into flames. Post-accident examination of the airplane revealed continuity from the engine power quadrant to the carburetor. The fuel screen of the carburetor was observed free of debris. The needle valve in the carburetor remained attached to the float and was binding in the needle valve seat. The carburetor bowl was free of debris and was undamaged. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were favorable for the formation of carburetor icing. The pilot reported that he did not apply carburetor heat until after the loss of engine power.
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: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,535 hours in all; 137 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 1,777 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: KMDQ Huntsville AL
- Destination: KHTS Huntington WV
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
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.