Cessna T-41B accident near Sparta, Tennessee, March 3, 2005
On March 3, 2005 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Cessna T-41B, registered N14449, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sparta, Tennessee. It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Improper installation of the timing reference plug by other maintenance personnel, which resulted in oil starvation, and the loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 3, 2005 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Sparta, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T-41B · all T-41Bs on the register
- Registration
- N14449 · no longer on the register · serial R172-0208
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated the flight was cruising at 3,500 feet mean sea level when the engine began to run rough. Moments later, engine oil sprayed on the windscreen and the cockpit filled with smoke. Several hundred yards short of runway 4, the engine lost power completely, and the propeller stopped. The pilot maneuvered the airplane to avoid trees and landed in a field. The pilot stated when the nose wheel touched down, it sank into the soft ground, and the airplane nosed over. Examination of the airplane revealed the empennage was nearly separated aft of the baggage compartment, the fuselage was buckled aft of the firewall, and damage was observed on the engine crankcase. The post-accident examination of the engine revealed the timing reference plug was missing from the crankcase. The timing reference plug threads in the crankcase were not stripped. The crankshaft did not reveal any signs of movement or rotation, and the pistons, rings, and pins in all six cylinders revealed discoloration and mechanical damage.
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: 407 hours in all; 298 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,144 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2004; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO 360-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KBNA Nashville TN at 9:44 pm
- Destination: KSRB Sparta TN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from KBNA
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ATL05TA055.