Cessna 172 accident near Blountville, Tennessee, October 12, 1993
On October 12, 1993, a Cessna 172, registered N12657, was substantially damaged in an accident near Blountville, 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
IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN INADEQUATE FUEL AND FUEL EXHAUSTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 12, 1993
- Place
- Blountville, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N12657 · registry record · serial 17262152
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE RECEIVING RADAR VECTORS FOR AN IFR APPROACH TO THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER OCCURRED. THE ENGINE QUIT APPROXIMATELY SIX MILES FROM THE RUNWAY, AND FIVE HOURS AND TEN MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT ELECTED TO DITCH THE AIRPLANE IN A NEARBY LAKE. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE MAXIMUM FUEL ENDURANCE FOR THIS AIRPLANE WAS FIVE HOURS; NO REFUELING STOPS WERE PLANNED OR MADE ON THIS FLIGHT. NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WERE REPORTED BY THE PILOT BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 551 hours in all; 495 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 527 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,038 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 10, 1993; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1N9 Allentown PA at 7:45 pm
- Destination: TRI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,400 ft; not recorded at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 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.
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 ATL94LA004.