Piper PA-18-150 accident near Nashville, Tennessee, May 16, 2005
On May 16, 2005 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N5990Z, was destroyed in an accident near Nashville, Tennessee. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while maneuvering resulting in an in flight loss of control, stall, and collision with trees and the ground. A factor was the pilot's impairment due to drugs.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 2005 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Nashville, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N5990Z · registry record · serial 18-8248
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to a witness, after takeoff from runway 01, the airplane made a quick climbing turn. The nose of the airplane pitched up 80 degrees, the left wing dropped down, the nose of the airplane pitched down, and the airplane was heard colliding with the ground. Examination of the airframe, flight controls, engine assembly, and accessories revealed no anomalies. The flaps were extended 10-degrees. The gross weight power off stalling speed with full flaps in the Super Cub 150 is 43 M.P.H.; with flaps up the stalling speed increases about 4 M.P.H. Review of the Piper Flight Test Manual for the PA-18-150 did not note any test data that was conducted with 10-degrees of flaps. Tetrahydrocannabinol (Marihuana) 0.004 (ug/ml, ug/g) was detected in the blood. An unspecified amount of Tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (Marihuana) was detected in the blood. Tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (Marihuana) 0.0106 (ug/ml, ug/g) was detected in the liver.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 302 hours in all; 52 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 145 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,953.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2004; 21.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C2E (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Abaco LLC
The flight
- Departed from: JWN Nashville TN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; a few clouds at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from BNA, 10 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.
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.